


On The Open Road

by rosegoldhl (Rosegoldhl)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Louis, Car Sex, Cheating, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Families being cute, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, I mean... how else would this become a cliché?, It kind of happens simultaneously, M/M, Road Trip, Sharing a Bed, Top Harry, car games, louis/oc are not official or exclusive but some people consider it, the boys are referenced in this but are not actually in it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 05:59:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10353696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosegoldhl/pseuds/rosegoldhl
Summary: Harry and Louis grew up together, they shared childhood and teenage memories, but they never really got along.What happens when they reunite after four years of not seeing each other, and they find out that the person they hated so much is not the same person anymore?Or a short roadtrip!au in which Harry and Louis have to travel together across the US, deal with the past and of course, share a bed.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is an attempt at writing something short and fluffy. I hope you'll enjoy it. :) 
> 
> This fic features both families and Jay is in it quite a lot, so if you don't feel comfortable reading about Jay anymore, please don't read this. 
> 
> Special thanks to lovely Sanna for telling me the right things to give me the confidence to hit post.

The car honked for the third time in the last five minutes. Louis was struggling to carry his large suitcase down the stairs. Fuck the elevator for being broken the only day he actually needed it and fuck Harry for being an impatient tit. As if two phone calls and honking two times wasn’t enough, he had to go for three. Right on cue his mobile started ringing again. Louis didn’t have to check to confirm who it was.

It was all his mother’s fault really. Becoming fifty years old is quite the milestone, sure, and a birthday party was an excellent idea. Louis was planning to fly there on Saturday, attend the celebrations on Sunday and go his way on Monday or Tuesday. But no. That was not an option. He had to be there a whole week earlier. Jay had told him that she needed help for the preparations and someone to accompany her to the endless shopping sprees she had to do to get everything. Louis couldn’t be fooled, he knew Jay was just using the occasion to trap him there for as long as she could.

Louis would normally jump the gun to stay with his family a little while longer, but this time was different. Firstly, he was ditching a very important date, missing a concert he had planned with the guy weeks ago. Secondly, Anne’s family, which was Harry’s family really, would always be around. Now, Louis adored both Gemma and Anne, she was like a second mother, but Harry. He couldn’t stand Harry for more than a minute. Now he had to be in his presence for ten days, including the three days it would take them to get there.

Everything would be fine, if Jay hadn’t told him that she needed him there on Monday the last minute. Louis tried to change his ticket to an earlier date, but there weren’t available seats. So, not only Louis had to pay a fee for canceling his original ticket, but also he had to agree with his mother’s horrible, terrible idea.

“You should come with Harry, he’s coming by car,” Jay had said enthusiastically. “I’m sure he’d love some company.” Her disregard for the fact that Harry once shaved Louis’ left eyebrow, because he was annoyed by Louis’ snore or that they hadn’t even spoken to each other in four years was alarming to Louis. “It’s a long road-trip.”

“I don’t know, mom. I think I’ll rent my own car,” Louis had tried to protest.

“Nonsense. Why spend more money, when you can share a car with Harry?”

Louis tried to explain how uncomfortable it would be at best, but most probably how none of them would arrive there in one piece, but Jay said she had to run and hung up before Louis could make his point. He was sure she was lying.

That’s how Louis found himself getting out of his New York apartment building, 50°C outside, he could fry an egg on his forehead. Louis rarely left his house when it was so hot. Since he wasn’t working during the summer, the perks of being a substitute teacher, he always made Zayn to bring him groceries, whenever he was coming over for video games and to lazy around.  

Since the only words Louis and Harry had exchanged arranging this trip were “my mom told me to come pick you up”, Louis’ address and “fucking come down, I’m waiting” just a few minutes ago by Harry, he had no idea which one was his car. He also had no idea how Harry looked anymore. Last time they had seen each other was at Anne’s wedding with Robin. Harry was still eighteen years old, lanky and with untamed curls. If he still looked like that, Louis would never let him forget.

Of course. Of course, Harry didn’t look like that anymore. Louis tried to not obviously stare at him as he opened his car’s door and got out to wave at Louis, huffing irritated. Okay, first of all, was he taller? Who gains height after the age of eighteen? Louis stopped growing at sixteen. Also how could someone be lean, yet have defined muscles showing through his T-shirt? That fucking ratty Rolling Stones T-shirt. Louis had seen it a million times already. He swore to himself to throw it away as soon as they’d get to Jay’s house.

It wasn’t just Harry’s body that had changed, though. His face was different, more defined? His jaw was sharper and although he couldn’t see his eyes behind the ridiculous white rimmed alien glasses he was wearing –he would suffer the teasing of his life for those- he was sure he had the same lines on the side of his eyes that his forehead had. Basically, his baby face was gone. He also had long hair down to his shoulders. Overall he looked absurd.

How could someone had changed so much? Louis hadn’t changed at all. Sure, his clothes were different. A memo that Harry probably never got, since he was wearing the same tight jeans, the same T-shirt, and the same overpriced boots. And although Louis had a scruff and more crinkles by his eyes now, overall he was the same guy he was at twenty.

Rolling his suitcase, trying to not show how much effort he was putting -he wouldn’t appear weak to Harry, he just wouldn’t!- he approached the car, which apparently was a big range rover that cost as much as Louis’ apartment, which wasn’t even his to begin with.

“Finally,” Harry muttered opening the trunk. “Why are you carrying so many clothes, we’ll be there literally for a week and I’m sure you have some of your childhood outfits there. They probably still fit.”

So, he began with the insults right away. Good to know. Louis put the suitcase in the trunk, letting out an _umf_ , when he had to pick it up. “It’s my mother’s birthday, I need to look nice. Just because you enjoy wearing the same disgusting T-shirt for years, it doesn’t mean that other people don’t like to follow fashion trends and look good.”

“I wear this T-shirt to be comfortable. I also know I look good.” The fuck he did! He looked ridiculous.

“You look ridiculous!” Louis voiced his thoughts, as he got in the car.

Harry joined him and put his seat belt on, before he got his phone out of his pocket to send a text. Louis felt the urge to hit him. It would be the worst trip of his life, he knew. Closing his eyes he tried to calm himself, dreaming of being at the concert with Ricky, getting smashed, touching each other, kissing. Fuck that! He’d miss that to spend time with Harry on a road trip? What had he done to deserve this?

“Can we start? The sooner we get there, the lesser I have to see you.”

“You’re not my favorite either,” Harry mumbled, locking his phone and putting it in the cup holder behind him. “Seat belt on.”

“I’ll put it once we get on the highway.”

“You’ll put it on now.”

“Were you always this annoying or has your case worsened?”  

“I’m not starting the car unless you put your seat belt on.” Harry crossed his arms in front of his chest. He turned to look at Louis and Louis wanted to laugh, because he was looking at him through those ridiculous sunglasses.

“You’re such a dick,” Louis gave up and put his seat belt on. He wanted to leave right away. He actually wished he could teleport to his childhood bedroom and take a nap for an hour or ten. Harry was already exhausting him.

He was sure he heard Harry mumble something that sounded like “brat”, but he let it slide, since he finally started the car.

They drove in silence for half an hour or so. Louis popped his earphones in and let music calm him down. He almost forgot who was driving, as the melodies kept any other noise out, and his eyes were glued out the window. Almost being the key word, since Harry couldn’t let him have anything good ever. He felt him tagging the earphone out of his ear and he turned around with a murderous look.

“Don’t touch me.”

Harry rolled his eyes, he had removed the sunglasses now. His eyes were as green as ever. Apparently, eye color is one of those things that never changes, never fades.

“We’re making a stop.”

“What? You got tired already? It’s been what? Thirty minutes?”

Harry sighed rolling his eyes again. If Karma existed, they’d get stuck. “I am starving, I want to have some breakfast. There’s a nice, little café in which I’m going to sit to have some coffee and eat. You can join me if you want or you can stay in the car and wait for me, I don’t care.”

With these words he opened the driver’s door and got out of the car, without looking back. As if Louis would stay alone. A cup of coffee sounded divine, especially since he had stayed up until the early morning and had to wake up after four hours of sleep. He followed Harry out of the car and run to get to him, as the taller boy -he’d never call him man, he was just a silly boy- raised his hand and pressed the button on his keys to lock the car.

They entered the café, which was indeed how Harry had described it, nice and small. There were a few patrons, but it didn’t seem like a busy day. Harry chose an isolated table and sat down, crossing his arms in front of his chest and frowning at Louis, like he was the one who chose to join a road trip he didn’t even want to make. If Harry should have an issue with anyone that would have been Jay. Louis sat across from him and grabbed the menu right away, to save himself from the awkward silence. Still, there was silence and it was awkward.

“What do you recommend me to have?” Louis asked without raising his eyes from the menu. Everything was obscenely expensive. Maybe a cup of coffee was enough.

“I don’t know what you like, Lewis, I don’t care,” Harry spat out aggressively and okay, this didn’t make any sense. Harry wasn’t Louis’ favorite person in the world, but at least he was civil. He had done nothing wrong to have Harry act like this first thing in the morning. At least not that morning.

“Alright, I guess this trip will be horrible and you’ll be an asshole,” Louis murmured under his breath, but loud enough for Harry to hear him. The younger boy didn’t reply, though.

A pretty waitress, wearing all black but a red apron, approached them with a big smile. “Good morning, my name is Vanessa and I’ll be your server today. Do you want to give me your order now or do you need a couple more minutes?”

Harry shook his head, ignoring Louis completely and he gave his order with a cheeky smile that showed his dimple. Oh, he still had those. Well, it was probably one of those things that don’t go away with age. “I’ll have a freddo cappuccino with soy milk and caramel, and one of your delicious cupcakes, lemon, please. Thank you.”

Vanessa wrote down the order and turned to look at Louis, who had no idea what to get. Harry’s order sounded pretty good, but he didn’t want to have the same, because he was petty and bitter, so he just ordered a freddo espresso and a chocolate muffin.

“Thank you,” Louis said politely to the girl, who wrote his order, picked up the menus and left with a “coming right up”.

Louis was forced to either look at Harry or start looking around, which made him uncomfortable, because people would think he was staring at them. Maybe he should have brought a book or something. He sighed realizing how lonely his time would be until they’d get to their destination. That didn’t mean he couldn’t try to open a discussion, ease the tension off a bit, try.

“So what have you been up to the years we haven’t seen each other?” Louis asked trying to sound genuinely interested. He was not, he really was not.

Harry seemed to be taken aback by Louis’ question, so he answered without a snarky remark or a sarcastic comment. Success. “I just graduated college and I’m looking for a job.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember Anne telling me you were studying something business related.”

“Dropped out and went for music. I’m a guitarist now and I’m looking to teach music. I play some gigs here and there, though, which is, like, what I want.”

“Interesting…” Louis said shaking his head, but, man, he didn’t care at all.

“You?” Harry asked back still surprised by Louis’ pretend interest.

“I graduated two years ago and now I’m a substitute teacher in a middle-school. The woman I’m replacing is coming back next year, though, so I’m looking.”

“Huh, teacher?” Harry asked. “Like you teach kids?”

“Like yeah.”

“Good Lord.”

“What is your problem?” Louis snapped.

“Nothing. I just could never imagine you teaching young people. If I were a parent, I would be worried if my child’s education was in your hands.”

Louis took a deep breath to calm himself. And another one. Three more. Nope, he couldn’t calm down. “You’re such an asshole, Styles.”

Harry grinned satisfied with himself for getting a reaction, but didn’t reply, because Vanessa came back with their orders.

“Here’s your coffee and muffin,” she said to Louis placing a tall glass of  iced coffee and a plate with a single muffin in front of Louis. “And your cappuccino,” she said putting the glass in front of Harry, “and a cupcake.” She emptied the tray and she stood straight. “Enjoy.”

“Thanks, sweetheart,” Harry smiled at her, before the girl turned around to leave blushing furiously.

“You’re such a kiss-ass. Do you ever get tired pretending to be nice and kind?” Louis asked taking a sip from his espresso. Strong and cold, perfect for a wake up.

“I am nice and kind, just only with people who deserve it, which is not you.”

“Wow, you think highly of yourself, don’t you?”

“As a matter of fact, yeah, I do.”

Louis cut a piece from his muffin and popped it in his mouth and fuck if it didn’t deserve every single dollar he spent. He ate the rest of it in one go, because it was fucking delicious, and he rested back on his chair, rubbing his belly satisfied. Harry had barely touched his cupcake and he was looking at Louis with intense eyes. Maybe Louis should rethink being alone with Harry for the next two days, he could murder him or at least seriously hurt him.

“Was it good?” Harry asked. He wasn’t being nice all of a sudden, so Louis wondered what kind of a childish remark he had to say.

“Yes,” Louis replied like he wasn’t in fact waiting for his bullshit comment.

“Alright. Let’s get going then, drank my coffee, I will take the cupcake for the road.” He got his wallet out and left a lot more money than his share was. Louis went to pay for his own food, but Harry stopped him. “Next time is on you and it’s lunch, so prepare to feed me pounds of pasta with meatballs, because that’s what I’m craving today. Or nuggets. Nuggets would be cool. Now up, we have a long way ahead of us. We’re staying at a hotel tonight, by the way. I had a room booked already, because I’m not irresponsible and I don’t make my plans last minute-“

“I wasn’t the one, my mom-” Louis tried to protest before Harry interrupted him again.

“But I’m sure we’ll get you another room, alright?” He grabbed the cupcake taking a bite and stood up. “Come on now, Tomlinson, I’m bored already.”

Louis did follow Harry, but he did not thank him for breakfast. The dude was rich, he could afford to pay for an extra muffin and coffee. Besides, Louis didn’t ask him to pay, he had every intention to pay for himself. They went back to the car and got in, Harry turned the air condition on right away, thankfully. Louis was sweating like a pig already. They buckled up and Harry started the car leaving Louis holding the cupcake, feeling like an idiot. He could always eat it, but that would probably earn him a punch. At least that’s what would have happened four years ago.

“Give me,” Harry said, his eyes not leaving the road for more than a second to look at the pastry in Louis’ hands.

“What?”

“Feed me.”

“What?”

“Are you stupid? Feed me, I’m driving.”

“You should have eaten already, not my problem.”

“Fuck, Louis, you’re so annoying!” Harry grunted. “Feed me the damn cupcake.”

“No! Eat it yourself! Here, take it.”

“I’m not driving with one hand. Give me!”

“No!”

“Louis!”

“Harry!”

“Give me the fucking cupcake.”

“Oh, my God, shut up!”

Louis smashed the cupcake on Harry’s face, who gasped and turned to look at Louis with a gaping mouth, covered in icing, and a shocked expression, which was the same as the one he had, when Louis had threw a bucket of water and ice when they were ten and twelve years old. It was exactly the same.

“You-“ Harry left the wheel after all in order to wipe away the lemon cream that was all over his face. “You little piece of shit.”

Louis tried to care about the consequences he would have to face, but he was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down his flushed cheeks. What he didn’t expect was Harry to start laughing along. And not just simple laughing, he made that horrible sound and then covered his mouth with one hand, smearing the icing even worse. Louis turned to look at him amused and then they both burst to a new round of laughter that kept going until they left the city and Harry was relatively clean.

After calming down, Louis popped his earphones in again and they ignored each other for the rest of the way.

 

~*~

 

Of course Louis fell asleep and of course Harry woke him up with a slap on the side of his head. It wasn’t hard or anything, just annoying and it made Louis shriek in an embarrassingly high-pitched voice.

“Come on, sleeping beauty, it’s time for lunch,” Harry said, unbuckling his seat belt.

“What?” Louis checked the time on his phone screen. They’ve been driving for five hours. What kind of an epic nap was that? He was running low on battery, he needed to charge his phone soon. He also needed to reply to Ricky’s five messages. “Where are we?”

“A little out of Pennsylvania. Come on, princess, I’m starving, since someone decided to play with my food.”

“You were a prick it wasn’t my fault.”

“Yeah, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda, let’s go get those nuggets and pasta with meatballs.”

“You’re having both?” Louis asked, unbuckling his own seat belt.

“I’m hungry, Lewis, and also I need more energy than you. Question, how did you go back to the height you were in middle school?”

Louis flicked Harry’s ear, before he opened the car door to get out and run away from Harry. He hadn’t thought about how numb his legs would be after the many hours of sitting in one position, so when he almost fell face first on the ground, he was glad that Harry was there to grab him by the arm and steady him.

“You really are useless.”

They must have been in a smaller town or a village, because there weren’t many cars in the streets, yet the area wasn’t completely deserted. Louis followed Harry inside a small restaurant, which looked like one of those places, which tried to appear fancy, however it was obvious that they were cheaper in quality and prices than Olive Garden. To be fair, the place looked cozy and nice, with brown tones and pretty white table linens.

Harry and Louis sat themselves at a table next to the window, the place was quiet. Maybe it was late for lunch. Louis preferred it that way. Harry looked a bit tired and Louis wondered if he should offer to drive for a bit, but then again, he was sure that Harry wouldn’t let him. Also, he doubted he could actually drive that beast of a car. Who buys a Range Rover in New York? Where did he park it? He probably had his own parking spot, spoiled little rich kid. Robin must have loved him too much to spoil him like that, because Louis remembered for sure that their financial statuses weren’t that much different in the past.

“So what do you want to eat?” Harry asked resting his head in his palms and rubbing his face slowly.

“I don’t know, I need a menu. Are you alright?”

“A bit tired,” Harry raised his head again and yawned. “I slept late last night.”

“Same,” Louis said sympathetically.

Whatever, sleep was the most important thing after food and before sex -yes, before sex. No one should suffer from lack of sleep, not even Harry. His phone beeped with another message from Ricky. Louis picked it up and he went through the cute, funny messages the man had sent him throughout the morning. He typed a reply, informing him about his whereabouts and telling him that they’d meet next week.

A waiter approached them after a while with two menus, which he placed on the table. “Hello, can I get your something to drink?”

“Hello,” Harry said cheerfully and he flashed his best smile to the waiter, because of course. “I think I might have a beer.”

“You’re driving,” Louis reminded him.

“Just one beer, Lewis.”

“Alright, then two bottles of beer, your choice”.

The waiter nodded and walked away, leaving them to study the menus, or better say leaving Louis to study the menu, since Harry just checked the pastas’ list and he closed it right away.

“They have meatballs,” Harry said enthusiastically.

Louis nodded. “They have nuggets, too. Want them?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, so you want pasta with meatballs and a plate of chicken nuggets. Anything else?”

“No, I’m fine. What will you have?”

“I have no idea.” Louis was actually starving, which meant he wanted to order everything and eat only ten bites before he was full. He always did that. “Maybe a pizza?”

“A whole pizza for yourself?”

“You’re having two fucking plates, shut the fuck up, Henry.”

Harry chuckled and shrugged. “Have the pizza.”

“And mozzarella sticks. Mmm,” Louis moaned rubbing his belly. “Fuck, I’ve missed some good mozzarella sticks. Do you think they are any good here?”

“I have no idea, this is the first time I’m coming, but you can try them. What do you have to lose?”

Louis snapped his menu closed and placed it on top of Harry’s. “Have you ever had bad cheese? Horrible. Absolutely nauseating.”

“Believe me, I’ve had bad cheese. Robin insists on Camembert and it stinks like shit, but whatever.”

“Camembert is fucking delicious, asshole,” Louis said, but his tone was playful.

“If you like Camembert, then you’re going to enjoy any cheese. Maybe switch the beer for wine?”

“Nah, it’s too hot outside for wine right now. Maybe with dinner. You will be able to drink, too, so a bottle of wine by myself won’t be too much, right?”

Harry nodded with a soft smile. “Right.”

The waiter returned after a while with the beers and holding a pad. “Are you ready?”

“Sure,” Harry said handing him the menus. “We’ll have pasta with meatballs, a pizza…”

“Margherita,” Louis rushed to clarify.

“Margherita, chicken nuggets and a plate of mozzarella sticks. Thank you.”

The waiter wrote down everything. “Another beer with your food maybe?”

“I’ll have another beer, he’ll have water, because I love my life,” Louis intervened.

“Alright.”

The waiter left them alone and they both had a sip of their ice cold beers. Bitter and delicious, just like how Louis loved it. They sat in silence again, which honestly was getting tiring. Sure, Louis wasn’t very fond of Harry, but he couldn’t spend their days in silence. Even arguing was more appealing than silence.

“How come you didn’t book a plane ticket?” Louis asked downing half of his beer.

Harry shrugged and took a very small sip in return. “I love driving and I like visiting places. It was a nice opportunity for some time on the road. Bless your mom for inviting me.”

“Of course she would. She adores you more than she adores her firstborn.”

“Well, you’re not the only son anymore. Honestly, Ernest is adorable, Doris too. To be frank, I am more excited to meet the twins, my mom has showed me a million pictures.”

“They are perfect, you have no idea. And they just started mumbling words. Of course they can’t pronounce my name so I’m Lolo to them.”

“Lolo?” Harry asked raising his eyebrows.

“Or Achoo.”

“Lolo or Achoo,” Harry repeated in disbelief. “And you’re willingly giving me this information? Are you losing your mind?”

Louis rested back on his chair. “Ugh, whatever! A bit of banter is better than complete silence.”

“Hey, I’m not the one who fell asleep with earphones in.”

“I didn’t want to bother you.”

“You should have thought that, when you fucked up your travel plans,” Harry said, but it was lighthearted. “Now we’re stuck with each other, so we might as well try to be civil.”

“I’m not promising anything, but I can try.”

“And definitely fail,” Harry said with a cheeky smile. Had his dimple gotten deeper or something? “So let’s try and be civil, as I said before. Do you want to tell me a few things about your life now?”

“Sure. I am living alone finally. Not that I don’t love my friends, but living with Liam was a challenging time in my life. Now that he moved in with Zayn, I’m a free bird.”

“I guess your life is very different now.”

Louis nodded. “Sure, instead of just having cereal on the couch while watching animated movies every Sunday morning, I do the same thing but naked. Also clean dishes and free toilet at all times.”

“That’s living the life right. Naked cereal.”

“Shut up. I like my cereal and my freedom.”

Harry shot his hands in the air. “Hey, I’m not judging. I certainly like freedom myself, but I prefer eggs. Is that a deal breaker?” he asked with a smirk.

“Deal breaker?” What the fuck was Harry talking about?

Harry widened his eyes and his smile disappeared. “Nothing. I was just- um, anyway, anything else apart from naked Sundays and shitting whenever you want?”

“I live a pretty boring life, Harry. I work a morning job during the school year, I’m a free bird now, so I’m spending my days playing video games and lighting up with my best friend, who is Liam’s fiancé, by the way. We’re not all rock stars.”

“I literally spent a week inside my house in my sweatpants begging Niall to bring me groceries every now and then.”

“Hey, I do the same thing with Zayn. Does this Neil do it, because Zayn is a prick, he almost never does what I’m asking him to.”

“No, Niall is a cutie, he always brings me anything I need.”

“Zayn is an ass,” Louis complained. “Can I be best friends with Neil?”

“Niall!” Harry corrected him again, as if Louis wasn’t doing it on purpose. The waiter approached them with their food and Louis’ second beer. He served everything and went his way, leaving the boys taking deep breaths to take in the wonderful smells of the hot food.

Louis grabbed a mozzarella stick and dipped it in the red sauce, which looked spicier than it tasted. “Fuck. Me. This is incredible, you have to try it.” Louis offered a stick to Harry, who shook his head.

“I’m here for the meatballs, dude.”

Louis shook his head eating another mozzarella stick. “You’re obsessed with meatballs.”

“I’m obsessed with balls in general. Meatballs are like my second favorite.”

Louis almost choked with his large bite. “Crude!” he criticized Harry, but wait… Did he kind of come out to Louis? Was Harry non-straight? He had no idea, they never spoke and he never asked Anne or his own mom about him. He didn’t care enough. He knew that Harry lived in New York, like himself, because Anne said it once, but that’s different than announcing someone else’s sexuality. Louis tried to play it cool. It didn’t matter if Harry was gay, bi, pan or whatever, he was still the same asshole. Louis’ opinion wouldn’t change just because they belonged to the same community. If they did and Harry wasn’t just making stupid jokes.

“Anyway, any girlfriend in the picture?”

Louis inability to shut the fuck up would be his fatal flaw. Jay had told him so, when Louis was fourteen and almost got arrested, because he insulted a cop. His mother was for once right.

“Girlfriend? No, definitely no.”

That was fucking vague and Louis was curious. Oh, what the hell? He had already put his head in the crocodile’s mouth, let the beast swallow him whole. “Boyfriend?”

“Not right now,” Harry replied with a smile. So yeah. Gay. “You?”

“I’m kind of seeing this guy, we went on two dates and we got along really well. We were supposed to attend the Coldplay concert this Thursday, but Jay destroyed it for me. My ticket went to his best friend actually.”

“I was supposed to go to that concert, too, but your mom kind of destroyed it for both of us. But no date for me, it would be Niall and me.”

“Why did you agree to go a week earlier?”

“To babysit the twins, of course!” Harry replied offended. “I am the official babysitter for the week.”

“Hey, I am babysitting the babies, they are my siblings.”

“Which is weird, because they are the cutest petals I’ve ever seen and you’re you.”

Louis flipped him off and took a slice of pizza in his plate. It smelled delicious and greasy and perfect. Louis took a bite and fanned his mouth, when he realized that it was still too hot. He moaned when the cheese hit his taste buds, a faint scent of spice in the sauce leaving him dead and helpless. Apparently not shutting up wouldn’t be his fatal flaw. Greasy food would be. Harry stared at him as he took a small bite from his meatball pasta.

“Are your balls any good?” Louis tried to joke.

Harry choked and had to cough to regain composure. “What?”

“Your meatballs. You were excited about them,” Louis used his final pizza bite to point towards Harry’s plate.

“Oh!” Harry said with a sudden realization. “Thought you were talking about my actual balls.”

“What the fuck?”

“I don’t know, you’re weird. You filled condoms with water, shampoo and shaving cream once and you threw them at me. That’s something that a person who’s weird does. But to reply to your question, yeah, they are quite nice. You want some?”

“Sure, hit me.”

Louis gave his fork to Harry, who grabbed quite the amount of pasta and a meatball, before he gave it back to Louis, who took it thanking him. He put in his mouth as much as he could and chewed slowly.

“My pizza is better,” Louis said when he swallowed. “Have a slice.”

“What the hell, why not?” Harry took a slice of pizza and took a bite. “You’re insane,” he said with his mouth full. “Your pizza is definitely not better.”

Louis gasped offended. “Okay, but I bet my mozzarella sticks are better than your nuggets.”

“Let’s see.” They exchanged finger food and Louis tasted the nuggets and fuck Harry if he said anything this time. “Okay, you’re right. Sticks are better than nuggets, I’m stealing half.”

“The hell you are.” Louis pulled the sticks towards his side protectively. “Stick to your dry nuggets.”

“I’ll share my meatballs with you.”

“They suck.”

“Come on, Lewis, don’t be cruel. One more stick.”

Louis sighed and rolled his eyes, but gave in.

 

~*~

 

They ended up sharing their whole meal and went their way with their bellies full and Louis a tad tipsy from the combination of heat and three bottles of beer. He decided to not listen to music this time and try to keep Harry some company. The first few miles were silent, the music from the radio was smooth and it kept some of the awkwardness away. But Louis started getting bored fast, so he decided to engage with Harry.

“Henry, I’m bored, let’s play a game.”

“A game? What are you, five?

“Come on now, it will be fun. Let’s play twenty questions.”

Harry sighed. “That sounds stupid, but alright. How do we play it?”

Louis perked up in his seat. Finally, something interesting. “You think of a person or a fictional character, that we both know, and I have to find who it is asking twenty questions.”

“Okay, sounds better than not talking at all. Let me think of someone… hm…” Harry looked ahead on the road thoughtful for a moment. “Alright,” he said suddenly. “Got it.”

“Is it a woman or a man?” Louis asked.

“Woman.”

“Real person or character?”

“Well, she’s supposed to be a real person, but she sure as well is a character.”

“So real.”

“Yes, Lewis, real. This is boring.”

“Is she blonde?”

“Well, she used to be, but now she dyed it brown, which is closer to her color.” Louis shoved Harry’s shoulder. “Hey, I’m driving here.”

“You’re not supposed to give me details. Why don’t you tell me her name and get it over with?”

“It’s Gemma,” Harry said simply with a mischievous smile.

Louis groaned frustrated by how annoying Harry was, he ruined the whole game. “Why did you tell me?”

“Your game is stupid.”

“It’s not my game, it’s a game that everyone plays during road trips, apart from you apparently.”

“No one plays these games anymore, we have cell phones and tablets.”

“Well, I play them so shut the fuck up.”

“You’re so annoying, I swear to God.”

The discussion was getting heated again and Louis wasn’t in the mood for another argument, so he dropped it. Instead he decided to be kind -which he shouldn’t, because Harry certainly didn’t deserve it- and ask about Gemma.

“So how is your sister?”

“Gems? She’s ace. Actually, she’s pregnant and I’m dying, because she’s only six months along and I can’t wait three more months to meet my little niece.”

“Pregnant? When did that happen?”

“Six months ago?” Harry replied confused.

“Neither mom nor Anne told me anything, they know how much I love Gemma. Wait, she didn’t get married or anything, did she?”

Harry shook his head, his smile was fond as he talked about his family and as much as Louis disliked Harry, he had to admit that the boy was very close with his family and he put them above everyone. He knew as much from Anne and from their past encounters.

“No marriage yet or in the near future. Don’t worry, she will invite you, if she decided to get married.”

“Got a little worried for a moment.”

“As if my sister wouldn’t invite you herself for such an important day. She told me you guys met like a year or so ago.”

Louis nodded, but then remembered that Harry was probably focused on the road, so he spoke up. “Yeah, she works with a guy I used to date. Is she still with that guy, Michal?”

“Considering he’s the father, yeah.”

Louis clapped enthusiastically. “I loved that guy!”

“They are going to come to your mom’s birthday actually.”

“Amazing.”

They kept chatting about their families, Harry gushed about his first niece a little more and Louis let him, because honestly he knew the feeling of having a new baby in the family. And then Louis talked about all of his sisters and his brother, telling him about Lottie’s exciting new career as a makeup artist and how proud Fizzy was making him with her sharp mind. He told him about the twins and how they were transforming to wonderful young ladies in front of his eyes and how he missed his youngest siblings all the time.

Apparently, they both knew more about each other’s family, than they thought, since both their mothers liked to share tidbits here and there. “When I learned that Jay had twins again, I almost gave up everything to go see her. Man, another set of twins.”

“They’re two years old, Harold, I wonder how you haven’t met them yet.”

“I’ve only seen your mom, when she visits you in New York,” Harry explained. “Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we always have brunch when she comes to the city.”

“She’s a traitor, but I can’t say anything, because I meet with Anne, whenever I visit my mom. It’s inevitable, our families have become one basically.”

Harry nodded. “Took you long enough. I mean haven’t you noticed how we were forced to grow up together? Not even our ongoing hate could separate our moms.”

“I know. Man, how I hated your curly head, when we were kids. You were annoying and you used to follow me everywhere, when we first met. I was like ‘why is this kid obsessed with me’?”

Harry laughed throwing his head back. “Well, excuse my eight year old self for being excited to hang out with a cool ten year old. Everyone knew Tomlinson and I got to be his friend! Oh, my God!” he pretended to fanboy over Louis.

“Really?” Louis asked amused by both twenty-two-year-old Harry and his eight-year-old self. “I thought you were trying to annoy me.”

“Nah, that started when I grew up a little and realized that you were just an asshole to me and you deserved the same treatment back.”

Louis’ memories were fond instead of annoying and angering, like he expect them to be. Man, the pranks he had played at poor, young Harry. Not that the younger boy hadn’t paid him back later. “And what age did you realize that I couldn’t stand you?”

“Around eleven-twelve,” Harry admitted with a blush. “I was a slow kid, alright?” he yelled when he turned and saw Louis’ shocked face.

“So the four years of constant pranking wasn’t a clue?”

“I thought that it was worth it, if it meant to be part of your group of friends. You were the cool kid, Louis, and I was, well, not cool. You climbed trees and run and played sports and all the guys liked you and all the girls wrote their first love letters to you. In fact,” Harry chuckled shaking his head, “nah, forget it.”

“What?” Louis was curious and a little embarrassed, because he was aware that he was a popular boy from middle school until the end of high-school and to be honest, Harry wasn’t that popular or liked by his classmates. He knew that, because they all made fun of him.Louis avoided being mean to Harry at school, still he never really defended him. Louis felt a pang of guilt, because even if Harry grew up to be just fine, he knew that his behavior towards him had been horrible. If one of the kids in his class behaved the way Louis had behaved towards Harry, they would face serious consequences. “Harry, I-“

“I actually wrote my first love letter to you. You can try to spread the word, but I will deny it, so whatever.”

Louis was left looking at Harry’s flushed face, shocked. From all the things he would expect to hear, this wasn’t it. “You had a crush on me?”

“My very first gay experience. One-sided and I thought it was just a friendly thing, I brushed it off, but it came back to my mind, when I was older and I started questioning my sexuality, around seventeen years old and I was like ‘huh, there it was’.”

Louis didn’t know what to say. For him accepting his sexuality was a struggle. He had spent endless nights of crying and wondering what was wrong with him, why he couldn’t love his girlfriend, why he preferred it when his best friend, at the time, touched him. He was too popular, too liked to admit to himself that maybe he was just gay and lose everything. It had taken a lot of discussions with Jay, who did her best to help him accept himself, and moving to New York for college, in order to accept it, come out and be free. Apparently, Harry knew since he was a kid.

“What did the letter say?” Louis asked with a soft voice, sympathetic towards the young boy that had sat and written words of puppy love for him.

“I don’t remember exactly,” Harry shrugged his shoulders. “Something along the lines that I admire you because you are particularly good at soccer and you are the bestest friend I ever had. Also, I think I said something about your eyes sparkling, but I don’t remember exactly.”

Louis didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or open the door and fall out of the car. He had been an asshole to a little boy, who was having his first crush on another boy. He hated his younger self. “Why didn’t you ever give it to me? Maybe if I had read that-“

“I did,” Harry said with a dimpled smile. He seemed to be genuinely fond of his memories, Louis wouldn’t be. “I left it in your locker, I had just entered junior high and I was so clueless. Anyway I left it there and then waited hiding. But as soon as you saw my name on the envelope, you tore it and threw it away. And that was the moment I realized I was playing myself and decided to torment you. I think I did a pretty good job.”

Louis was speechless. Harry was acting nonchalant, maybe he was, but Louis felt horrible. “Harry-“ he choked in his words. “I am so sorry.” It was the only thing to say really.

“For what?” Harry asked genuinely confused.

“For acting like that. I didn’t know, I… I…”

Harry turned to look at Louis with a soft expression, one that Louis wasn’t used to, because it was never addressed to him before. “It happened a million years ago, it’s not like I think about it in the shower and I break down in tears. I think it was better this way, imagine being fourteen years old and discovering the weird twelve-year-old son of your mom’s best friend, who you hate, has a big, fat crush on you. I don’t think you’d be calm about it.”

Louis looked out the window and nodded sad. “You’re right, I wouldn’t be.”

“Hey, don’t get moody now. I just thought you’d laugh at the story, it’s a funny story. Lewis, come on.”

Louis felt Harry’s fingers probing his ribs and he turned to look at the taller boy surprised by the sudden physical contact. Last time they had touched, it was to punch each other. “It’s not funny,” Louis murmured. He had never felt more embarrassed in his life. “It’s heartbreaking.”

“I’m over it, I swear. Come on, let’s play twenty questions.”

“No.” Louis was still shaken by the reveal.

“Okay, think of a person.”

“No.”

“Male or female?”

“I’m not playing, Harold.”

“Male or female?”

“It’s me, it’s fourteen-year-old me, being an asshole to a kid, just because I could.”

Harry drove slower and he turned to look at Louis with intense eyes. “Let it fucking go. I did. We aren’t friends, so what? It doesn’t matter anymore. I have my life, you have yours and now that we’re civil, mature people, we can enjoy family gatherings without fighting. It’s fine.”

Louis nodded although he disagreed. He wasn’t feeling fine and he doubted he would be able to look at Harry the same way again.

 

~*~

 

The feeling of guilt and embarrassment was still there, when they pulled in a hotel for the night, which thankfully didn’t look too fancy, so Louis would be able to afford it. He struggled to carry his suitcase to the reception. Harry had only a large bag, which he put over his shoulder and walked in front of Louis.

“Hello,” he greeted the man working behind the desk. He looked bored, tired and like he didn’t have the patience to deal with customers.

“Name?” he asked reaching for the computer mouse, without standing up from his seat.

“Harry Styles, I made my reservation five days ago.”

“Uh huh,” the man typed something and looked up at Harry after a moment. “Room 289, I need your ID.” He stood up and leaned down, searching for something. Harry turned to look at Louis with wide eyes. Louis shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, he had no idea what was happening.

The man resurfaced holding a key card. Harry dug in his pocket and found his wallet. He took his ID out and gave it to the less than helpful receptionist, who checked it and threw it recklessly on his desk. “Here,” he pushed the card in Harry’s hands, who took it with a murmured ‘thanks’ and took a step back, allowing Louis to step in front of him and talk to the employee.

“Hi, I need a room for a night,” Louis said right away, there was no reason trying to play nice with a guy that was clearly ready to murder them and skip town. He went to get his wallet out, in order to give his ID, but the employee’s words stopped him.

“There are no rooms available, only suites.”

Louis’ eyes bulged out of his head. He was fucked. He couldn’t afford a suite. Not even in this seemingly cheep hotel, there was no way. “Are you sure?”

“Positively. We have the Peach Festival and people from other towns are coming to visit. We’re full.”

“Peach festival?” Louis shrieked.

“So, do you want a suite or not?”

“No,” Louis stepped back fast. “Thank you, but no.”

Louis turned to look at Harry in despair. He could ask to spend the night in his car, couldn’t he? Harry’s smug face irritated him. What was he smirking about? Louis was homeless for the night. Oh, God! They would spend one more night on the road the next day. What if he wouldn’t find a room again? What if Harry didn’t let him sleep in his car?

“Okay, let’s go. I’m tired and hungry,” Harry said.

“Go where?”

“My room?”

Louis shook his head. “What? No. I can’t stay with you!”

“As you wish,” Harry said and turned around to leave.

Louis stopped him with a hand on his arm and pulled him back. “Wait, wait. Can I… um… sleep in the car or something?”

Harry rolled his eyes and sighed. “I have a room, come with me, it’s not even a big deal, Lewis.”

“Are you sure?”

Harry nodded. “Positive.”

“But I’m taking the couch.”

“There’s no couch,” a voice from behind Louis said bored and annoyed. “Can you take the discussion up, you’re in front of the desk.”

Harry put his hand on Louis’ shoulder and squeezed. “Come on, dude, let’s go. We’ll settle this upstairs.”

Obviously, there was no couch. It was a simple room with a double bed, a desk with a TV and a phone on it, and the smallest bathroom in the world. Which meant that Louis would sleep on the fucking floor. Perfect. Just what he needed.

“Leave your suitcase here,” Harry pointed at the small place between the bed and the desk. “You can use the bathroom first, I take my time usually.”

“Harry, how will this work?”

“It’s literally a double bed. You lie on one side, I lie on the other, everybody wins.”

“I don’t know, it sounds like a stupid idea.”

“It’s not the first time we’re sharing a bed, we grew up together. Come on, go take a shower, you stink. I’ll order us some room service. We’ll eat and pass out.”

“I can sleep on the floor.”

Harry sat on the bed, crossing his long legs. “How do they say it in movies? Who are you and what have you done with the real Louis Tomlinson?”

“Shut up, I’m trying to be nice.” Louis knelt down to open his perfectly organized suitcase. He took out a new pair of boxer briefs and a T-shirt, a new toothbrush he had brought along and toothpaste. “I’ll just go for that shower.”

“Alright,” Harry said taking off his shirt. Louis tried to not ogle, because this was Harry, stupid Harry, who had cried once because Louis had stuck gum on the back of his fancy shirt during Christmas dinner, but the dude was ripped. He had fucking abs, which he didn’t have in the past, and now he had them and they looked good on him. Not too buff, just defined and fucking amazing. “What?” Harry asked, when he noticed that Louis was staring. He was staring! He noticed!

“Um, I’m going.”

Louis run to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Fucking hell! They would be sharing a bed. Louis, Harry and his defined abs. Also Harry had noticed Louis staring. If that wasn’t awkward, then what would be? Louis sighed and left the clothes, toothpaste and toothbrush on the sink, before he looked around to find a towel or a bathrobe. It had both, so Louis decided to go for a bathrobe, which he placed on the side of the shower.

Testing the water for a couple of seconds, Louis removed his clothes and entered the shower, letting out a long sigh of relief. The cool water felt divine on his hot skin and as it dripped down his head, wetting his head and relieving him from the beginning of a headache. He used the generic shampoo and shower gel given by the hotel to wash himself, trying to be quick. He dried himself with the bathing robe and he stood in front of the mirror to brush his teeth. Deciding that it was for the best to get dressed inside the bathroom, he put his underwear and T-shirt on, wondering if he should have taken a pair of sweatpants with him as well. Ugh, whatever, it was too hot.

When he returned to the room, he found Harry sitting on the bed in his underwear only, whistling a very familiar rhythm that Louis couldn’t name, but definitely knew. He averted his eyes from Harry and focused on putting his toiletries back in his suitcase, zipping it closed again and pushing it on the side.

“I ordered us burgers, I hope that’s alright with you.”

“Sure, no problem.” Alright, now, Louis’ voice was weird.

“Okay, can you open the door when the food comes?”

“I am pretty sure I learned how to open doors when I was a kid, so yeah.”

Harry rolled his eyes and went in the bathroom. After a minute or two, Louis heard running water and Harry humming a song, which Louis didn’t know. He settled on the bed, the mattress was a tad too hard, but it would be alright for one night, and he turned the TV on, although there was nothing interesting to watch.

The knock on the door came twenty minutes later, and while Harry was still in the bathroom doing God knew what! Louis jumped up and run to the door, picking up his wallet on the way in order to tip the server.

“Hi,” he said opening the door. In front of him stood a gorgeous, young man, barely over 20. He was dark-skinned, black hair, black eyes. Louis registered vaguely that himself looked like death, in a simple T-shirt and his boxers. Oh, boy! “That was fast.” He popped one hip and smiled at the guy, hoping he was playing for Louis’ team and that he would get interested.

The man looked at Louis from head to toe and smiled widely. “We aim to please.” Okay, definitely playing for Louis’ team and maybe interested. “May I push the roller in?”

“Sure,” Louis smiled back and stepped on the side.

Harry decided to pick that specific moment to emerge from the bathroom, almost naked, since the towel he had wrapped around his hips barely covered anything. He took a deep breath first, pushing his long hair back, before he spotted the trolley and the gorgeous man. Harry smiled at him, all dimples and cheeky smirks, and it was just fucking unfair. Louis could have been topless too. That would be fair game, this was- Whatever.

“I see the food is here,” Harry’s eyes didn’t leave the guy’s fit body, as he put the plates and two beers on the desk. “Smells and looks incredible.”

“Thank you,” Louis said loud enough to be noticed again. Harry might be half-naked, but Louis knew how to wrap men around his finger and play them however he wanted. Well, not really, but whatever. He was a good flirt, he knew that at least.

The man served the two plates with the burgers, which looked mediocre at best, on the desk, plus two beers, before he turned around and gave them a dazing smile. “So that’s all. If you need anything, ask the reception for Jo.”

“So, you’re Jo?” Harry asked biting his lip. No. “I’m Harry, pleased to meet you.”

They shook hands as the gorgeous man talked. “The pleasure is mine.” He turned to look at Louis expecting a name, which of course Louis gave him.

“Louis,” he gave him his best smile and the man blushed.

Louis 1. Harry 0.

“Anyway, I should get back to work, not everyone is as kind as you, guys,” Jo took a step towards the door.

“Wait,” Harry said suddenly, grabbing his wallet from the desk. He got a few dollars out and gave them to Jo. “Thank you very much, Jo.”

Jo smiled and left the room after he wished them goodnight. As soon as the door closed behind them, Louis turned to look at Harry, only to find him staring back with raised eyebrows and a cheeky smile.

“This is honestly one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen,” Harry half-yelled, letting out a little chuckle.

“Fuck, I know,” Louis agreed, relaxing that this wouldn’t be an awkward interaction. He grabbed one of the plates and a beer and he sat on the bed to enjoy his dinner. Harry followed his example, sitting next to him and focusing on the TV for a moment.

“So any good dates lately?” Harry asked before he took the largest bite Louis had seen a man putting in his mouth.

“Told you I’m seeing this guy. His name is Ricky, he’s nice.”

“Nice? Not hot, amazing, perfect?”

“No one is perfect, Harold, and before you say you are, yeah right.” Louis took a small, cautious bite of his burger. It was shit, but it would do the job for one night. He washed the taste with a swing of beer.

“Jo is,” Harry hummed.

“We literally saw him for ten seconds, come on.”

“I don’t need more, I saw his bulge through his pants. He’s packing.”

Louis shook his head horrified. “You know, looks and a big dick are not enough for a good relationship.”

“Who said anything about a relationship?” Harry winked, resulting in Louis rolling his eyes, because this boy was always so ridiculous. “Anyway, I think he was more interested in you.” Yeah, Louis had noticed. “

They ate their dinner together, finishing their beers too soon and deciding to go for the mini-fridge’s little liquor bottles. Louis found himself three hours later in a drunken conversation with Harry. They were talking about the past, the years they hadn’t seen each other, memories from when they used to pull pranks and make each other’s life miserable. And thinking about the whole situation now, after all these years, Louis couldn’t help but laugh and hum nostalgically, when Harry reminded him that time they were both grounded, missing a party of one of their mothers’ friend’s kid.

“I just didn’t want to show up with you, Harold. You were a snotty, little kid and I was like ten.”

“Fuck off, I was every parent’s favorite kid,” Harry laughed. He seemed a bit tipsy, judging by his pink cheeks and the way he chuckled in every other sentence.

“I didn’t care about the parents, Harold! I only cared about my friends.”

“Damn, you had gotten really mad after that.” “I missed Jordan’s Spiderman-themed birthday party because of you! And then we had to spend the whole day together, because my mom had already made plans for the evening and, of course, Anne didn’t let her cancel and I had to spend the day with you.”

“We had a good play date that day, I still remember it. It was the first time we actually played together.”

Louis finished the small tequila bottle. “I was desperate to have some fun.”

“We played pirates. We were running around my backyard and you hit me on the head with that fake sword.”

“How do you remember all these stuff?” Louis was actually surprised by how many things Harry remembered and cherished from their past.

“And when I cried, you panicked that my mom would throw you out in the streets, so you tried to make it up and it was the first and maybe last time you were nice to me. You let me be the pirate that time and you gave me most of your snacks. Good day.”

“I was so dumb.”

“Dumb indeed,” Harry nodded his head with a wide grin. “But to me it felt like heaven, because you were my friend for a day. You even hugged me and pecked my cheek to stop me from crying.”

Louis covered his face and groaned embarrassed. “I did not.”

“Uh, my diary says different. I read it a couple of months ago. Man, I was a sucker for your bad boy act.”

Louis turned towards Harry and shoved his shoulder, until the boy fell back on the bed. “You were not, shut up, you hated me.”

“Sure I did after a couple of years, but back then you were my hero.”

“Shut up,” Louis shrieked, covering Harry’s mouth with his hand. “Stop changing my memories. We hated each other.”

Harry’s words came muffled behind Louis’ hand, so Louis removed it, but kept it on Harry’s shoulder. “You were perfect. You reminded me of a superhero and you had pretty blue eyes. At least that’s what I wrote in my diary, when I was eight.”

“Did you seriously have a crush on me?”

Harry nodded, his long curls bouncing. “Oh, totally.”

“That’s so stupid, kids don’t have crushes.”

“They do have platonic, cute crushes. And you were mine.”

Louis felt blood rushing to his cheeks, which was ridiculous. Harry had a crush when he was eight, not now. They were on the same wave-length after all these years, hatred, indifference at best. Although, Harry was a bit more tolerable now. Not likeable though, Louis wouldn’t just forget everything. Harry acted all innocent, talking about crushes and cute childhood memories, but he has been an ass, growing up.

“We should get some sleep,” Harry said suddenly, getting up from the bed, his towel -why couldn’t he just wear some clothes like a normal person?- almost falling off.

“Okay, sleeping arrangements. What are we going to do?”

Harry grabbed a pair of boxer briefs and wore them underneath his towel, before he tossed it on the floor. Slob. “We’ll share. It’s not a big deal, Lou.”

Louis really didn’t want to sleep next to an almost naked Harry. “Do you still snore?”

“I never snored.”

“You always snored.”

Harry rolled his eyes, as he pushed the covers low and he lied on the bed, letting out a relaxed sigh. He rubbed his face with his large hands. No, regular hands. They were regular hands and Louis hadn’t noticed.

“Tired?” Louis asked as he settled down himself. He understood why Harry omitted the covers, it was fucking hot and apparently this hotel was a shithole. An expensive shithole with no available rooms or functioning air conditioner, that didn’t stop working every five minutes. 

Harry hummed and closed his eyes. “Long day and many hours of driving.”

“I can drive tomorrow if you want,” Louis offered.

“Yeah, right. I don’t want to die.”

Louis slapped Harry’s belly, making the man groan and then chuckle. It was apparent that alcohol had them still airy and in a good mood, although Louis felt somewhat sleepy. He forced himself to turn his back to Harry and he closed his eyes, suddenly remembering all too well the pirate and superhero days of his childhood. And a certain curly haired boy was always there.

 

~*~

 

Morning was hell. They were both hangover and Harry was grumpy, because he was hungry and he didn’t want to drive. Louis tried to persuade him to let him take the wheel for the first few hours, as they packed to leave the hotel, but Harry refused to trust him with the car. It wasn’t like he cared about Harry that much, he just wanted to drive the beast, even if it scared him as an idea. They decided to skip breakfast at the hotel, since they weren’t satisfied with the previous night’s dinner, and get something on the go.

Harry decided on strong coffee and pastries worth of $15. Louis was much simpler. An apple pie and some tea, instead of coffee, were enough for his stomach to calm down and stop gurgling. They ate as they drove off the little town, Harry making Louis giving him small bites, because “I’m driving, Lewis, I can’t be irresponsible. Feed me.” And it would be fine, if it was any other person. Louis would do this for Zayn or Liam, if they had to drive 40 hours from New York to San Francisco. But feeding Harry felt weird, especially when the boy stuck his tongue out every fucking time he wanted a bite, although Louis had told him he found it disgusting and he threatened to throw the food out of the car. Harry ignored him. Of course.

See, Louis was feeling too familiar with Harry. He hadn’t seen him in years, yet he felt comfortable to feed him and whenever Harry patted his thigh for another bite, Louis didn’t try to slap him. It was confusing and it frustrated him, because he started the trip hating the boy, and now he was conflicted about his feelings for him.

Quickly, after they finished breakfast and made a small stop to pee, they got bored of driving without doing anything. They decided to play another game, despite the previous day’s disaster with the twenty-questions one. It took twenty minutes to decide on which one they would play, since Harry put a veto on every other idea Louis had. They ended up choosing to play ‘would you rather’.

“Okay, you first,” Harry said to Louis, who took off his shoes and settled on his seat.

“Let me think.”

“Don’t take ten hours.”

“Shut up.” Louis was good at that game, he had been in far too many college parties, playing a lot of similar games, but he didn’t know how fun it would be without the alcohol. His college days weren’t too sober. “Okay, um… I got a good one. Would you rather have a head the size of a tennis ball or the size of a watermelon?”

Harry burst out a loud laugh. “This is pathetic, Louis, I didn’t expect something so lame from you.”

“Lame?” Louis asked offended. “Fuck off. I’m not going to start with the racy ones.”

Harry looked at Louis for a split of second with a raised eyebrow. “There will be racy ones?”

“You really don’t know me, do you? Anyway, answer.”

Harry groaned, but answered. “I guess the watermelon one, so that my brain fits and all.”

“Well, you’re almost there, your head is huge.”

“Fuck off,” Harry chuckled, slapping Louis’ shoulder playfully. “Okay, my turn. I have the perfect one. Would you rather have sex with just one person watching, or would you rather have sex with ten people watching?”

“Harry, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Louis gasped, because that wasn’t just racy, that was straight up porn and Louis really didn’t want to discuss sex with Harry. Not when his curls fell loosely around his shoulders and when his dimple was showing, as he chewed gum all cocky, and when his arm muscles tensed as he steered the wheel.

“Come on. Pick. Don’t say none.”

“I won’t say none, I know how to play the game. One person. I mean it’s kind of a threesome, but not really, since they don’t participate.”

“Have you ever had a threesome?”

“What’s with the sex questions? Harold, do you want to have the talk? When a boy loves ano-“

“Shut up,” Harry laughed. His laugh was deep and rich and genuine. It made Louis want to jump out of the car and lay on the road until a truck drove over him. “Come on, tell me.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I just want.”

Louis sighed and rolled his eyes. “Of course, I had a threesome, Harry. I partied my way through college.” He looked at Harry expecting an answer from the boy, who kept driving, pretending he couldn’t feel Louis’ eyes on him.

“What?”

“Have you had a threesome?”

Harry smirked and shook his head. “I’m not telling you.”

“Why? I told you!”

“Your turn, make this question count.”

“Harry, tell me,” Louis whined and Harry’s head snapped towards him, looking at him with intense green eyes. “It’s only fair.”

“No, I haven’t had a threesome.”

Louis didn’t say anything, but somehow he expected Harry to be all proud and gloating about his perfect, adventurous, rock star sex life. Maybe he wasn’t into multiple partners. Whatever, it didn’t matter. It was Louis’ turn to ask and he decided to keep up with the racy questions. “Would you rather have sex with a boy in lacy panties or in a bondage outfit?” Checkmate.

“Lacy panties,” Harry answered right away, not taking a second to think about it. No shame either in the way he smirked. “Not that a bondage outfit wouldn’t look great on the right body,” Harry turned his head toward Louis and looked at him up and down, before he focused back on the road. Was he… was he checking him out? Fuck that, no. Louis forced his brain to not go there. “I think I prefer the lacy panties because they would look amazing on a great ass and they are fucking soft, man, he would love wearing them.”

“That makes me think you’ve worn panties before,” Louis said, but there was no humor in his voice, just breathlessness.

Harry turned and winked at him, biting his bottom lip. Okay, what the fuck was going on? This sounded like dirty talking. It felt like dirty talking.

“Harry, are you okay?” Louis asked hesitantly.

“Perfect. Now me. Let’s see…” he thought about his next question for some time. “Would you rather be in a relationship with a sub or a dom?”

Another sex question. A very invasive one. Okay, if Harry wanted to play dirty, Louis could play dirtier. He was the best at dirty, the king of kinks. He would make Harry blush and squirm, even if it made Louis not being able to look at him ever again.

“A dom,” Louis replied. Before Harry could ask more questions, he started talking again. “I mean it’s not like I don’t like being a dom or at least topping, which I know they’re not mutually exclusive, but having someone holding me down as they fuck me, his hands keeping me still, my head buried in a pillow so I can’t breathe, my moans barely audible, and at the moment of reaching the orgasm getting a good spank or two… yeah, that’s totally my choice,” Louis said proud of himself for not losing it and laughing. He expected Harry to laugh a little bit, at least, or look at him awkwardly and call him nuts. What he didn’t expect was for Harry to put his hand on his crotch to adjust himself. Even after that, the bulge of a semi was obvious.

Okay, Louis didn’t expect that. What was he supposed to do? Address it or ignore it? Continue with the stupid game that brought them to this moment or pop his earphones in and go back to ignoring Harry and sleeping? Before he could make a decision or rather have a stroke, while trying to make one, Harry spoke. Well not exactly spoke.

It was a soft sound, not quite a moan, barely a whimper and it sounded a lot like Louis’ name. Louis snapped his head towards the boy, who looked flustered. It didn’t make any sense, Louis didn’t say anything incredibly dirty. It was just… whatever.

“Pull over, Harry, you can’t drive in this state.” Louis didn’t acknowledge what state Harry was in, but Harry understood that Louis knew, that he saw.

Harry did as he was told though, parking on the side of the deserted road. Louis didn’t even know where they were. He also didn’t know how to react, what to say. Did this even mean anything? Probably not. Maybe it was a misunderstanding, maybe Louis imagined the whole thing and the reason Harry looked like that was because he was still hangover or sick.

But then he heard Harry’s breath quicken and when he turned around the boy was looking at him with wide eyes and an aching expression. “I’m so sorry, Lou, I’m out of line, aren’t I?” his voice was deep and he stuttered a couple of times.

“It’s fine,” Louis replied, captivated by the sight in front of him, because, after all, he had to be honest. Harry had grown up to be fucking beautiful. “I- I just don’t know what to do…”

“Whatever you want, you can do anything you want, just- do something or say something, please.”

Louis was confused and conflicted. He wanted to say a lot and do much more, but he knew that he needed to give it a better thought. This was Harry, they knew each other for years, hated each other for years, he couldn’t suddenly just hook up with him. Even if Harry looked the way he did. Even if Harry was actually funny and smart. But then the younger man put his hand on Louis’ leg. Louis snapped his head down, staring at the large hand on his thigh, and then he raised his head and looked at Harry, who was closer now, biting his bottom lip and looking at Louis intensely.

“Lou,” he murmured leaning a little closer.

Louis couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think. Harry was there and suddenly the thoughts he had banned to himself were there. This was a very real situation, it was happening and Louis was doing nothing to stop himself from eliminating the distance. Harry rested his forehead on Louis’, making his breath catch in his throat. This was insane, this was Harry, who he was about to kiss.

“Lou,” Harry said again, sounding needy.

“What do you want?” Louis asked, closing his eyes and trying to focus on finding the strength to pull away and stop this madness.

“You. Since the first moment I saw you coming out of your building, looking all different and hot. I hated you so much for making me want you again.”

“W- what are you talking about?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Louis didn’t give him an answer, instead he nuzzled his nose to Harry’s, taking a deep breath, before their lips connected. If someone had told Louis four days ago that he would find himself kissing Harry in a deserted road and enjoying it, wanting more, needing more, he would tell them they were crazy. Harry moaned in Louis’ mouth, before he darted his tongue out and licked Louis’ bottom lip. Louis kissed him back, opening his mouth and allowing Harry to deepen the kiss. Louis felt shivers up and down his arms and spine. Kissing Harry didn’t feel weird or uncomfortable, as it should be. It just felt right.

Louis pulled away to breathe, to clear his hands. Their eyes locked, green into blue, and Louis knew. He knew he was fucked.

 

~*~

 

Twenty minutes later, Louis and Harry were in the backseat of the Range Rover, grateful for the tinted windows, struggling to keep themselves in line, as their kisses grew deeper and their moans heavier.

Louis pulled away, needing a breather, but Harry chased his mouth, trailing small kisses on his lips, his cheeks, his jaw, his neck. It was almost as if he knew exactly what turned Louis on and he was doing everything right. He almost lost himself again in the touches and the hot lips against his skin, but with some effort, he pushed Harry back gently.

“What?” Harry asked confused. “D- did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Louis shook his head. The problem wasn’t that he was doing something wrong. The problem was that he was doing everything right and Louis wanted _more, more, more_. “Not at all, I just think- do you want anything to happen between us?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded right away. “Yes, I want it- you- I want you so much, Lou.”

He tried to kiss him again, but Louis put his hand on his chest to stop him. “We need to talk first.”

“Talk?” Harry grew even more confused, furrowing his eyebrow. “About what?”

Louis rolled his eyes and sat properly on the seat. “Harold, honestly, this is like kind of weird. We were never close, quite the opposite, and suddenly this happens, and don’t forget I’m seeing someone.”

“Fuck,” Harry murmured pulling completely away and throwing his head back. Louis hated the temporary distance. He hoped it was temporary. He liked having Harry’s hands and mouth on him. “Are you, guys, serious or anything like that?”

“No,” Louis shook his head. “Not at all, we just went to a couple of dates and shared a kiss. That’s all.”

“So you can break up with him,” Harry said turning to look at Louis again with hopeful eyes. “I mean… if you want to. I don’t know what you want.”

“I don’t know either.”

“If you don’t mind me, I can say what I want.” Louis felt Harry coming closer again, his arms wrapping around his waist. Harry placed soft kisses on Louis’ neck, kisses that didn’t have a purpose like before. They were simple, sweet pecks. “I want you. I want you now and tomorrow and maybe for the whole week. I want us to return to New York together and go on dates. I want to spend time with you and have fun like we used to, when we were teens and I was trying to hate you, but I couldn’t.”

Louis’ breath hitched. He turned to look at the boy, eyes locking. Harry looked so sincere about his words, but this didn’t make any sense. “H, you told me you hated me, after I tore your letter, which again I’m so sorry.”

“It was more like suppressing my feelings and trying to grow out of a stupid, unrequited crush. I thought I had managed quite well, when we stopped talking, but then you came back two days ago, looking like this and being so much kinder, accepting, different. It’s like- I can’t resist you, Lou.”

“I was horrible to you.”

“We were just teens fighting. Honestly, I remember those days fondly, because they were full of pranks, adventure and adrenaline.” Harry cupped Louis’ jaw and turned his head slightly to press a closed-mouth kiss on his lips.

Louis took a deep breath, massaging his temples and trying to take everything in. “I had no fucking idea, I feel so played.”

Harry chuckled, but he didn’t stop even when Louis shot him a death glare. He was facing a great dilemma and Harry was just having fun. “Come on now, Lou. I couldn’t tell you, could I? I mean you kind of freaked out with the platonic crush, imagine if I told you that it kind of didn’t go away, until you left to go to college. You would have flipped. But I just- look, you’re different and I’m different and I kind of want this, us together.”

“Haz, you know I think you’re a curly head cunt, annoying, smug, ridiculous like your clothes-“

“I’m taking everything I said back,” Harry huffed offended with a frown on his face. He was so fucking cute, Louis wanted to cry.

“-but I still think you’re pretty awesome. And maybe I kind of stopped hating you, when you were like sixteen, because I was an adult and stuff, but I couldn’t change my attitude towards you, because that was the only way I knew how to approach you.”

“So you had a crush on me?” Harry asked with a smug grin that made his dimples show.

Louis sighed rolling his eyes. “No, dude. At least not back then.”

They looked at each other for a few moments, before Harry was on Louis again, kissing him fervently and Louis couldn’t think anymore, he threw logic out the window and just did what his body wanted. That moment his body wanted to grind his crotch against Harry’s thigh, which was between Louis’ legs, thanks to the spacious backseat. Louis was so glad that Anne’s new husband was rich and spoiling Harry.

“Fuck, Lou, please, let’s… shit, you’re so fucking hot!” Harry lost his words, as he breathed down Louis’ neck, licking a fat stripe on the sweaty skin there.

“Yeah, come on, H,” Louis found himself nodding eagerly. “Want to see that amazing body of yours.”

Harry bit his lip, as he pulled away only to take his shirt off, it had flowers on it and it looked ridiculous, but Louis loved it on Harry’s body. Louis sat up, reaching for Harry and touching Harry’s torso with his fingertips. He became daring, moving as close as possible and sticking out his tongue, to lick at Harry’s hot skin. Harry let out a shaky breath at the contact, burying his fingers in Louis’ feathery hair.  

“What do you want me to do, Lou? Anything you want, you can have.”

“Fuck my mouth,” Louis said fast, blushing, hoping that Harry wouldn’t think it was too much for the first time having sex together.

Harry’s eyes widened, before he let out a small moan. “Yeah, fuck, I can- I can do that.” He cupped Louis’ head, his thumb grazing over Louis’ cheekbone. He leaned down for a deep kiss, tongues tasting each other. Louis felt like he was suffocating from how much he was aching to get his hands and mouth on the other man.

With trembling hands, Louis reached for Harry’s zipper, opening it carefully, only to realize that he was going fucking commando. That little shit! He gasped and shot his head up, looking at Harry with raised eyebrows and desire growing stronger every second. “H, you- fuck, come here, please hurry.”

Harry let out a deep chuckle. “Okay, baby, relax. Give me a kiss first.”

“Enough with the kisses, give me your dick!” Louis commanded, making Harry laugh a little louder.

“Aren’t you demanding, baby?” Harry said, leaning down and kissing Louis, sucking his bottom lip softly, before he got up again and pushed his jeans down, freeing his erection. “Take your top off, Lou, I want to see you, touch you,” Harry pushed Louis’ shirt up and the older boy, helped him take it off his body. Harry sat back and looked at Louis’ tattooed chest. “Fuck, you’re so hot, when did you get so hot?”

“You’re one to talk,” Louis murmured looking at Harry’s erection. He wrapped a tight hand around his cock, bumping him slowly, while Harry kissed him slower, deeper. “Yesterday at the hotel, I thought I’d die, when you got out of the bathroom with just a towel.”

“I was hoping to impress you.”

“Well, you succeeded. Fuck, you’re so big, H.” Louis tightened his fist, after he gathered some pre-come from the leaking slit. “I can’t wait to put my mouth on you.”

“Babe, believe me when I say it, I really, really can’t wait either.”

For Louis it was long overdue, when he finally darted his tongue out and gave a kitten lick. Harry moaned a filthy word and tangled his long fingers in Louis’ hair. Louis took him in his mouth, encouraged by Harry’s reactions. Swirling his tongue around the engorged head, he used his hand to work Harry’s length, warming him up, although the boy was pretty, fucking hard.

Harry repositioned himself, so that Louis wouldn’t have to crouch to get to him. The taller man was kneeling above Louis’ head, one hand on the roof of the car, the other on the window, jeans pooling around his knees.

“This is not working,” he murmured breathless.

Louis pulled away and looked at him confused. He was sure that his cock-sucking techniques were marvelous. In fact, many boys have been impressed by him in the past. “What happened? Did I do something you don’t like?”

“No, fuck, Louis, you’re doing everything right. But my fucking jeans are so tight and they’re cutting my blood circulation, let me just-“ Harry sat back on the seat and tried to wiggle out of his jeans. Louis laughed relieved and helped the other boy get rid of the rest of his clothes. “You, too, take everything off.”

“H, we’re in the middle of nowhere. If someone passes by and checks on us…”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, you said it yourself. Plus, that’s why the doors are locked and thank every God, you believe might exist, for tinted windows.”

“If we get caught and we go to jail, I’m killing you, Styles.”

“Alright, you can kill me, if we go to jail,” Harry rolled his eyes. “You’re so fucking annoying sometimes,” his words came out more fondly rather than bitter.

“Fuck off, brat,” Louis said as he unbuttoned his own jeans and pushed them down alongside his boxer briefs. Yeah, some people knew how to wear underwear.

Harry looked at him for a moment, biting his lip, taking everything in, before he kissed him. He wrapped his hand around Louis’ dick, bumping him dry a couple of times. “Look at Louis Tomlinson packing.”

Louis rolled his eyes. He couldn’t be serious, he wasn’t. “Whatever, let me get my mouth on you, before someone comes and catches us and we go to jail and I kill you.”

Harry laughed out loud, as he pulled Louis to lie on the backseat. Louis squealed, surprised by Harry’s roughness. Surprised and turned on to be accurate. He supported his weight on his elbows, surprised by how spacious the car was. Harry straddled Louis’ chest, knocking his breath off.

“You’re a fucking giant, get up,” Louis tried to push Harry off.

“Firstly, it’s not my fault you’re 5’5’’.”

“I’m 5’9’’, you asshole!” Louis protested trying to breathe. He would lie if he said he didn’t like the weight of a strong body on his, and Louis wasn’t a liar.

“Secondly,” Harry ignored him, “that’s the only way you can suck my cock. Do you really want me to get up?”

Louis shook his head. “No, you’re fine where you are, I’m good,” Louis said a little faster than he indented to, placing his hands firmly on Harry’s thighs and holding him in place.

Harry let out a loud laugh. “Just let me find a more comfortable position for both.”

“Harry,” Louis whined and he didn’t care because he had done a lot of waiting by then.

“Alright, relax. I got you, baby.” Harry put his left foot on the floor of the car, while he kept his right next to Louis’ torso. He gave himself a few strokes before Louis put his mouth around him eagerly, taking as much as he could in one go. “Fuck!” Harry moaned and he pulled away his hand from his cock, letting Louis do the work.

Louis looked upwards at Harry, through his heavy eyelashes, as he wrapped his own hand around Harry’s erection, synchronizing his movement with the way his head bopped. Harry was letting out heavy moans, particularly, whenever Louis pressed his tongue upwards, licking fat stripes on the underside.

With his free hand, he grabbed Harry’s strong thigh, encouraging him to move. Harry got the message right away and he started thrusting slowly and carefully inside Louis’ mouth. Louis made an effort to relax his throat, allowing Harry to slip in every now and then. Louis was so turned on, he couldn’t even think. He just wanted Harry and everything that Harry was willing to give him. It didn’t take too much time for Louis to get worked up, moaning around Harry’s cock and trying to reach his own around Harry’s thighs, in order to get some release. Harry, however, was too cautious with him and that was the last thing that Louis wanted.

Tapping his thigh to get his attention he tried to convey with his eyes and his movements that he wanted more, but Harry misunderstood him pulling away completely. “Lou, are you alright? Did I hurt you?”

“No,” Louis shook his head, “not at all.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Um…” Louis blushed as he spoke, “that’s what’s wrong, you’re afraid to hurt me. Just go for it.”

“Are you sure?”

Louis rolled his eyes. “I’m not exactly a blushing virgin, you know. Unless you are.”

“Ha, ha, really funny, Lewis,” Harry said in a monotonous voice. “Just suck my dick, it’s better than talking.”

“As you wish,” Louis winked before he took Harry in his mouth one last time.

This time Harry didn’t hold back, he thrust faster and faster, tangling his long fingers in Louis’ hair to keep him in place. They built it up from there quite fast and soon they were both two moaning messes, aching for release. Harry was the first to reach his orgasm down Louis’ throat, when Louis managed to deepthroat him and at the same time, he traced patterns around his hole.

Harry reached his orgasm screaming out Louis’ name and then he collapsed on Louis’ torso, the older boy struggling to breathe. “That was fucking amazing,” Harry managed to say breathless. “I didn’t know you had it in you, Lou. Fuck, I should have known.”

“Harry,” Louis croaked out, “do you mind getting up? You’re crushing me. Also, it’s really hot in here with the windows closed and all. Come on, let’s hit the road.”

Harry crawled down Louis’ body, until they were face to face. He kissed him deep, tasting himself on Louis’ tongue. Louis had done extraordinary things with men before, things that were way kinkier than a cum-sharing kiss, but he still felt dizzy with the connection.

“I need to get you off first, baby, don’t I?”

Louis nodded excessively. “Yes, please, I need it, I need to come.”

Harry grinned and he reached behind his back, wrapping his hand around Louis’ cock and stroking him fast, although the angle was awkward. Louis didn’t care about awkward, he only cared about the friction around his cock and the arousal pooling at his groin. He was so close, he just needed the right stroke.

“Come on, Lou, let go for me, babe. Come so we can get going and I promise you, tonight I will wreck you, make you fall apart, destroy you and then pull you together again. Just come for me.”

Louis’ back arched as he shot three, four stripes of come on Harry’s hand, letting out a muffled cry, covering his face with the inside of his own elbow. Getting caught having sex in the car in a deserted road was at the bottom of his to-do list. He felt Harry moving downwards again, until their mouths were aligned and they shared a hot kiss, tongues intertwined together filthily. Harry was a dirty mind and Louis absolutely loved it.

Harry smiled cheekily and pecked Louis softly. “You know the teen inside me just died from a stroke.”

Louis laughed but opted for a kiss instead, losing himself in Harry’s heat.

 

~*~

 

The rest of the drive to the next hotel was somewhat a little bit awkward, yet charged with anticipation. The few touches and the rushed orgasms weren’t enough. Louis wanted it all and he was sure, by the way Harry’s hand squeezed his thigh occasionally, that he wanted him just as much, if not more. Yet Louis needed to clear up the situation with Ricky. Yeah, sure, he was a nice guy, but he was not… Harry.

Louis turned his head towards the beautiful boy, who was focused on the road, humming along to the melody of a rock song they had chosen together. He felt himself smiling fondly, before he reached and brushed a few curls behind his ears. Fuck, how could he have missed this Harry all these years, because he was just too stupid to get over his ego? They could have found each other years ago, be together maybe, make plans together, go out, have fun, be something.

“What?” Harry asked with an amused smirk, avoiding to look at Louis.

“What?” Louis echoed.

“You’re staring.”

And Louis didn’t know where he found the courage to just say what he was thinking for once when he said “can you blame me?” and he leaned carefully to place a kiss on Harry’s jaw.

Harry’s face was split by a big grin, but he didn’t reply, his hand left the steering wheel and he placed it on Louis’ thigh, high enough to make Louis take a stuttering breath. This boy would drive him mad.

They got to the hotel around 10pm and this time they didn’t bother asking for a second room. The place actually was more like a motel and it was completely fine by Louis’ standards, if the room included a double bed and warm water in the morning. They almost run to get to the room, giggling like excited teens running on adrenaline. Harry used the key to open the door with one hand, while he was holding Louis’ with the other.

As soon as the door opened, they both dropped their suitcases on the floor and Louis felt a sudden pull and before he knew it, he was pinned on the now closed door and Harry was all over him. Lips on lips and jaw and neck, hands roaming his torso and reaching behind, down on his ass, hips pressing against his.

“Fuck, Lou, tell me we can, please, please, please,” Harry said with a low voice that contradicted his pleading words.

Louis nodded and sucked Harry’s bottom lip gently, because it looked delicious the way it was pink and a little pouty. Harry moaned and rolled his hips harder, making it sure that Louis knew he was hard in his jeans. Louis let out a giggle -a fucking giggle!- and he pushed Harry away gently, in order to lead the way to the bed.

The room looked below mediocre, but honestly Louis couldn’t be assed to care about it. The bed wasn’t a double, it was a barely bigger than a twin sized one, but still Louis threw Harry on it and straddled his hips, feeling the other boys’ erection between his thighs.

“Fuck, you’re so hot, babe,” Harry said in a voice that had reached a new low.

“Do you have lube and condoms?”

Harry nodded a little too eagerly. “In my suitcase.”

“You came to my mother’s birthday prepared to find a hook up?”

“Yes.”

“You’re gross.”

Louis leaned down to kiss Harry, as the boys’ hands wandered up and down his back, until they rested on his ass. He squeezed hard, earning a moan from Louis, who just wanted to get them both naked and fuck each other’s brains out. Louis sat up, pushing his hips down a little bit, just to drive Harry a little crazy, hopefully as crazy as Louis was feeling at that moment. Slowly, with steady hands, Louis took off his top and unbuttoned his jeans, leaving them off, because, honestly, he couldn’t find the strength to let go of Harry. He dipped down again, kissing Harry’s neck, before he started sucking and licking, determined to leave a huge mark there.

“Lou, let’s- can I get you completely naked?”

Louis lied on Harry’s chest and whined. “But you haven’t even taken anything off, that’s unfair.”

Harry chuckled and caressed Louis’ back. “Unfair?”

“Yes, unfair. I need to get my hands on you.”

“Alright, then get up so you can undress me.”

“But I don’t want to move,” Louis groaned. “I like being on you, felling that big dick of yours pressing up against me.”

Harry moaned and pushed his hips up. “Come on, baby, just for a second.”

Louis got up unwillingly and he turned around to find the suitcases on the floor next to the door. He knelt down and unzipped Harry’s suitcase. He started throwing clothes around, searching for the supplies. He found them in the front pocket –“seriously Harry!”- and held them close to his body as he got up and turned around. He let out a squeal, when he bumped chests with Harry, who was standing behind him the whole time. Naked.

“Fuck!” Louis whispered and dropped the condoms and lube, wrapping his arms around Harry’s neck and kissing him the way Louis knew that drove boys crazy. Harry moaned low in his throat and pushed Louis to walk backwards, until his body was pinned on the door again. Harry’s fingers traced Louis’ torso, reaching for his jeans and pushing them down easily, alongside his pants. Louis shivered when Harry traced his knuckles up his thigh and stroked his hard cock softly.

“You look so amazing, Lou,” Harry said kissing him filthily, all tongue and moans. “I- I just can’t believe we’re actually doing this.”

“Bed.”

“You want me to fuck you into the mattress, baby? You want me to take you apart?”

Louis nodded letting out an embarrassing whimper. He was fucked. This boy, this clumsy giant with the ridiculous hair and that disgusting, ratty Rolling Stones shirt, would be the death of him. That’s how Louis Tomlinson would die, fucked into oblivion. He was more than fine with that.

“What if I fuck you right here? Against this door?”

Louis tried to swallow and not choke on the words that wanted to come out from his mouth. They mostly had to do with begging and letting Harry do to him whatever he wanted. He kissed Harry’s jaw and rubbed his erection against Harry’s thigh.

“Please, Harry, let’s just- here, in the bed, I don’t give a fuck. Just- please.”

Harry nodded and pulled away. Louis thought that he would lead him to the bed, but Harry turned him around and pressed his body against Louis’. “I waited to do this since I was a fucking teen. Do you know how much I wanted this? I hate that I hated you, because I wanted you so much.”

Louis felt his insides clench, his heart beating faster. Harry was intense and Louis didn’t know how to react to that. He had never been with anyone so profoundly sincere. Instead of trying to find the right words, he turned his head and searched for Harry’s lips, chasing his taste. The kiss was slow and deep and completely different than the previous ones. Harry left Louis’ lips only to keep kissing down his neck and back.

Suddenly Louis stopped feeling Harry close to his body. He turned around to see, but one of Harry’s large hands pressed his body on the door and stopped him. A second later, Harry was back, kissing him from the waist up to his neck. Louis let out embarrassing moans, as Harry sucked marks on his shoulders. He felt his breath hitch, as he felt Harry’s cold finger stroking close to his hole, lubed up already. He let out a sigh and pushed towards Harry.

“You want this, are you sure?”

“Harold, if you don’t get these fucking fingers inside me, I will kill you.”

Harry chuckled and started pushing inside. Louis breathed hard, as Harry pushed some more, while kissing the side of his neck. Harry pushed all the way in pretty quickly and he started moving, gently but with intend, to open Louis up, anticipating the moment he could be inside him. Louis had already lost all words, just from a finger, he didn’t know what would happen once he had Harry inside him.

“Are you ready for a second finger?” Harry asked, not stopping the movements of his hand.

Louis nodded eagerly. “Please.”

Harry pecked his lips softly, before he pulled his finger out only to return with two. It was barely a stretch as Harry moved efficiently, scissoring his fingers inside Louis and peppering him with kisses. They quickly worked up to three fingers, making sure that Louis was stretched enough for Harry. Louis’ cock was already leaking, he was feeling like he would explode.

Harry pulled his fingers out and took a step back, allowing Louis to turn around and kiss Harry properly. “Let’s take this to bed, I want to be able to see you face, when you come,” Harry murmured on Louis’ lips.

“Yeah,” Louis nodded.

They walked together back to bed, Harry carrying the supplies back with him. Louis turned around and kissed Harry, both falling on the bed, giggling. Louis would never even dream, before he got in Harry’s car two days ago, that they would end up in this position. But there Louis was, ready to fuck the man he hated since they were kids. This was crazy. Harry pushed Louis gently on the bed and climbed on top of him.

“Can we- I think I need you inside me now,” Louis said wrapping his hand around his own leaking cock. Harry starred at him as he ripped the wrapper of the condom open and put it on.

“Ready, babe?” he asked kissing him softly on the lips.

Louis didn’t answer. Instead he opened his legs a bit wider and pushed towards Harry. Harry smirked -because he was that kind of an asshole!- and aligned himself to Louis’ opening. To say that Louis saw fireworks, when Harry pushed inside, was a cliché understatement. He saw something more like stars or comets or anything that could destroy earth, leaving just the two of them standing.

Harry was careful, but not slow, bottoming out right away, but waiting for Louis to adjust to the admittedly large size. But Louis had done enough of waiting, he started moving on his own, encouraging Harry to just go with it.

“I am not made of glass, just fuck me, for fuck’s sake.”

“Do you kiss your mom with this mouth?”

“Yes, do you want to know what other things I do with this mouth? Suck dick, like yours earlier this evening. So just fuck me.”

Harry let out a huff and started moving fast, but not fast enough. Louis arched his back, wanting to taste Harry’s lips again, addicted to the way their tongues moved so perfectly together.

“Just give it to me, Haz,” Louis whispered on Harry’s lips. “You know I can take it, I want it.”

Harry grabbed Louis’ wrists and pinned them on the bed above Louis’ head. He started moving his hips faster, letting out low moans with every thrust. The only thing that could be heard were Harry’s voice and Louis’ soft _ah, ah, ah_ ’s that accompanied every movement. He was pretty sure if he concentrated enough, he would be able to feel their heartbeats, but Louis wasn’t a sap and he was too close to an orgasm to deal with romantic shit.

“Are you going to come?” Harry asked, his own thrusts becoming erratic as he was getting close.

“If you touch my dick,” Louis said and expected Harry to fucking oblige for once, but no such luck.

“I want you to come just from my cock. Can you do that?”

Louis shook his head. He was too close to actually concentrate on coming untouched, but then Harry hit his prostate dead on with a particularly hard thrust, which took Louis by surprise, making him come all over his stomach with a loud cry.

“What the fuck?” he asked breathless and surprised.

It took only three more thrusts for Harry to spill inside the condom and fall with his full weight on Louis. Although, Louis was on the verge of suffocating, he didn’t want to actually make him move, so he patted his ass twice and then started stroking his back.

“That was good,” he said after a moment.

Harry nodded and pressed a kiss on Louis’ chest.

“So… how are we supposed to sleep in this tiny bed?” Louis asked stupidly.

Obviously, Harry had an answer. “We have to cuddle, of course.”

Of course.

 

~*~

 

Louis woke up the next morning in an empty, cold bed and with sore muscles. Feeling disoriented for a moment, he sat up and looked around the room. Empty. He closed his eyes and fell back on the mattress. The previous night was insane in an amazing way, he couldn’t even wrap his head around it. The feeling of Harry’s body on his, the words that left that sinful mouth, the sounds, the scent. How fucked was Louis exactly? And where was Harry? Had he left? Wait, what if he had taken the car and left Louis in a motel room by himself? What if this was revenge for all these years of teasing and pranks.

Before Louis had time to panic, he heard the door opening and closing softly and someone tiptoeing to bed. Louis smiled with his eyes closed, feeling stupid that, after the previous night, he had thought Harry would do something like that. He had been nothing but genuine and sweet. Louis wasn’t even sure if he deserved it.

“What are you smiling about?” Harry’s voice sounded soft, borderline amused, when he talked. Louis’ smile grew wider and he tried to hide it by turning his head on the side and burying it in the pillow. “I brought you breakfast. I would have cooked for you under normal circumstances, but, you know, we’re in a motel.”

Louis opened his eyes slowly, only to see a very bright and beautiful Harry hovering over him. As soon as Harry saw that he was awake, he leaned down and kissed Louis’ mouth, morning breath and all. Louis squirmed away, but Harry’s hand found his neck and kept him in place.

“I don’t care,” he said like he could read Louis’ mind. “Come on, up. I found a McDonald’s nearby, I got a bunch of stuff for us.”

Louis stretched his arms above his head. “Thank you,” he said with a hoarse voice. “You didn’t have to.”

“You know how I am. I need my grease in order to function in the morning, I was starving.”

“Still you should have woken me up, I would have come with you.”

Harry smirked and kissed Louis again. He could get used to these small pecks and the whole breakfast in bed thing. “You looked too cute sleeping, I couldn’t disturb you.”

“Fuck off, Henry, I am a manly man, I am not cute,” Louis tried to look intimidating.

“You really are both, though. My cute manly man.”

Louis pushed Harry away. At least he tried, but Harry was quick to climb on Louis, straddling his hips. Harry was dressed. Louis was not. Harry also didn’t have a morning boner, with which Louis had woken up.

“Hello there,” Harry said looking behind him.

“Did you just talk to my dick?”

“Well, yes.”

Louis let out a laugh, because Harry was one hundred percent serious. He buried his hands underneath Harry’s T-shirt, which seemed as old and worn out as the Rolling Stones one, and caressed Harry’s soft skin.

“Hm, and what did you get me?” Louis asked, sitting up to kiss Harry’s torso.

“Bacon, egg and cheese biscuits, hash browns, and sausage burritos.”

“Fuck, I love hash browns,” Louis let out a little moan.

“You can have mine, too, if you want.”

“Oh,” Louis said raising an eyebrow, “but how will I repay you? I’m not giving up on my burrito.”

Harry shrugged. “You don’t have to repay me. I mean I could blow you, since you’re already hard, and then you could return the favor, before we leave, but whatever.” Louis loved the nonchalant attitude, although Harry had started moving back and forth, rubbing his cute, little ass against Louis’ hard cock.

“How about you take off those jeans, before you give me a second degree burn and we can talk about it?”

Harry smirked mischievously, unbuttoning his jeans slowly. If they left two hours later than what they had planned the previous day, it wasn’t really their fault.

 

~*~

 

Louis couldn’t stop stressing out as they were approaching San Francisco. They were an hour away and Louis had no idea how he was supposed to behave around Harry in front of their families. Should he be typical, friendly or just keep touching him and kissing him like he couldn’t stop? Well, he really couldn’t. Right that moment Harry’s hand was resting on Louis’ thigh and Louis was playing with his fingers. He wanted to ask Harry’s opinion, but he wasn’t sure how to approach him without seeming uncertain of what he was feeling.

“Harry?” he said after the silence started becoming uncomfortable.

“Yes?”

Louis didn’t know how to start the discussion, but he knew he was running out of time. “Um… you’ll be around a lot this week, right?”

Harry turned his head towards Louis and nodded. “Sure, babe. Don’t worry, we’ll be seeing each other.”

“That’s not the problem.” It kind of was an issue, too, but Louis didn’t worry about that too much. Harry seemed to be into him enough to want to see him again. They would have all the time in the world after they went back to New York. “I wanted to discuss with you about what we’ll tell our parents.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean will we keep behaving like we’re enemies or do we make it clear we’re on friendly terms now?”

“Friendly terms? I literally sucked you cock first thing in the morning.”

“You know what I mean.” Louis lowered his head, he always felt uncomfortable talking about relationships. Not because he didn’t like talking about his feelings. He was very in touch with his emotions and he preferred to be open with other people. The problem was that he was always afraid that he was too demanding and he drove people away because of that.

“It’s not up to me, Lou. You’re the one with the boyfriend at home.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “Ricky is not my boyfriend, we dated like two times. I just want to talk to him and explain face to face that it’s over.”

“So it’s over?”

Louis rolled his eyes and turned to look at Harry fondly. “Wasn’t I clear when I let you fuck me that I’m interested?”

“That was a pretty good hint, yeah.”

“So?”

“So I think we shouldn’t just come out and say ‘hey, we fucked’, but also I don’t want to pretend we’re enemies or just on friendly. Something along the lines of ‘let it flow’.”

“I think I agree. Nothing official yet.” Harry nodded in agreement and he raised Louis’ hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles softly. “This is not neutral, you know,” Louis laughed.

“I have to let it all out.”

The rest of the way was spent sharing soft kisses at any red traffic light and pretending that they weren’t the sappiest assholes at that moment.

 

~*~

 

Harry drove Louis to his childhood home, deciding to not join him and drive straight to his own house, since apparently their moms had agreed on dinner out in the city with all the family members. Harry kissed Louis goodbye on the cheek, because as soon as he stopped the car, Louis could hear his sister screaming from inside the house.

“I’ll see you later, yeah?” Louis asked trying to resist the urge to kiss him on the mouth.

“Of course, Lou.”

Louis opened his door and got out. Harry got out, as well, to help him with his suitcase. They waved goodbye at each other, as the front door of Louis’ childhood home opened and an army of girls run out to him. Louis dropped the suitcase to the ground and allowed the girls to tackle him and throw him down to the grass. Louis vaguely registered Harry’s laugh in the background as his sisters started asking questions right away. A loud group of girls that included an 18-year-old and a 15-year-old. Louis hadn’t felt so complete in a long time.

“Alright girls, leave your brother alone, let him breathe,” Louis heard his mother saying as she came out the house. The girls rolled away from him, in order to get up. Harry was quickly behind him, helping him get up.

“Thanks, Harry,” Louis said and for some reason it sounded very official and fake to his ears.

“No problem,” Harry smiled. “Hey, Jay, how are you?”

“Harry, sweetheart, how are you?” Louis’ mom run to hug Harry first, because of course, why not? “You look thin, do you eat enough?”

“No, I’m not going through this twice, I’m meeting my mom in a few minutes.”

“Well, I’m your second mom, I’m allowed to worry.”

“Look after your son, who somehow got even shorter and thinner.”

“Fuck off, Harold!” Louis said but he was certain his fond was obvious from space.

“Language, Louis, honestly. The girls can hear you,” Jay said exasperated. “Now, Harry, don’t forget dinner tonight.”

“I won’t. But you have to bring the twins.”

“We’re here!” Daisy and Phoebe said in sync, but they didn’t use their familiar enthusiastic tone, they looked more like bored teens. Which they were. Fuck, Louis had missed his family a lot.

“I’m talking about the babies,” Harry explained, “not that I didn’t miss you a lot, too.”

Jay patted Harry’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, they’ll be there. They are at Sally’s now.”

“Great, I come home and the only people I care about are at their aunt’s, thanks.” Louis’ joke earned him a slap on the back of his head from Lottie.

“You’re stupid,” she said, flicking her hair behind her ear.

“Who can blame him? The twins are the stars of this family,” Harry said squeezing Lottie in a hug. “I follow your social media, four out of five posts are about them. Most adorable babies in the world, Jay.”

Louis felt weird seeing Harry interacting with his family this way. It wasn’t the first time, Harry loved them and he was loved by them for years, but Louis always saw him as a threat, as someone extra, whom he didn’t want around. But now that things were different, that Harry meant so much more, he couldn’t help but feel warm all over as he watched him bend down to hug his twin sisters.

“I need to go, but we’ll meet later for dinner, right?” Harry asked looking directly at Louis. Fuck, how much he wanted to kiss his stupid face!

“Of course, sweetheart,” Jay replied fondly. “Thank you for driving Louis here.”

“No problem.”

Louis coughed, trying to compose himself. “Yeah, thanks, Harry.”

Harry looked at Louis and winked. Louis wasn’t sure if anyone noticed, he didn’t even care. Harry said goodbye to everyone and he returned to his car. Louis had to make an effort to not look at Harry’s car as he drove off. He turned around and looked at his sisters, his family, and he smiled.

“Okay, I need food.”

“Of course, darling,” Jay said with a soft smile. “Harry is right. You are very thin. Come on, let’s fatten you up a little bit. I cooked your favorite stew.”

Louis draped his arm around his mom’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course, I do, my darling.”

 

~*~

 

Louis spent the rest of the day settling back to his childhood bedroom. He hadn’t even realized how much he had missed it, until his clothes were hung in the closet and he lied on his old twin bed. Maybe Louis should make it his goal to visit his family at least four times per year. He had missed the loud noise and the craziness of a full house that matched his own personality perfectly.

A few hours later and after his baby siblings were back from visiting their aunt, the whole family squeezed in the family car -a minivan- to get to the restaurant for dinner with Harry’s family. They had texted each other earlier, but still Louis felt a little nervous with the idea of spending an entire evening with Harry and not being able to interact with him the way he wanted, now that he knew how his skin felt.

Jay and Anne had picked their favorite place in town, a family restaurant which they frequently visited since Louis was a baby. Many things had changed all these years, but this restaurant was a constant. It was almost comforting stepping in the familiar area and sitting at their usual table by the window. Louis helped Jay to fetch two high-chairs and sit the babies down, while everyone else settled in. Louis was too busy tickling Doris, who was shrieking “no, Achoo, no tickles” while giggling happily, to notice the two hands touching his waist, until he heard that whisper in his ear.

“You look obscene in these jeans.”

Louis couldn’t control his smile for a moment, not even when he turned around and looked at Harry’s stupidly gorgeous face. Dimples and white, bunny teeth showing.

“Hi, Harry, how are you?” Louis asked noting that they weren’t alone. If they were, things would be different. Louis would kiss his plump lips. He would tease him, probably say something about his obnoxious sheer shirt. Obnoxious and fucking sexy.

“I’m doing well, you?”

“Louis!” Anne shrieked from behind Harry, taking large steps to come and hug Louis. Her arms were warm and they reminded him of home in the way that only Jay’s arms did. “How are you, honey? Let me see you.” She took a step back and looked at Louis from head to toe. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you, Anne, you too.” Her smile was bright and so much similar to Harry’s. How hadn’t he noticed before how alike they looked? “How are you?”

“Now that my boys are here, I’m doing fine. I’ve missed you.”

Harry shifted his weight next to her and huffed. “So I’m not enough.”

Anne rolled her eyes fondly. “When will you get over your little feud with Louis? You’re adults now, honey.”

Harry smirked and looked at Louis through his eyelashes. “I can try.”

Louis bit his lip to hide his smile. Why was Harry so cute and endearing? Especially when they were with their families? Why did he have to make Louis’ life so difficult? “Where’s Robin?”

“He’s parking the car. Come on, dear, I want you by my side, we have a lot to catch up on.” Anne pulled Louis’ arm to guide him to two empty seats at the end of the table. The last thing Louis heard before Anne sat him down and started asking him questions was Harry shrieking “babies!”

The family dinner went well. Louis’ family was all over Harry, Harry only cared about the babies. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Doris who took a shine to him, but Ernest, who demanded to sit on his lap for the rest of the meal and be fed by _Hazza_.  On the other hand, Anne was mainly focused on Louis, asking question after question about his job and the worst of all, about his love life.

“Come on, there’s no way that you’re single,” Anne said.

They had finished their meal and they were having dessert. The twin girls had asked permission to visit a friend for a couple of hours and Fizzy had agreed to take them. Lottie herself offered to drive and then she would go to her boyfriend’s house. That had left Harry playing with the twins, whose faces were covered in Harry’s chocolate soufflé. Jay was talking with Robin about something she needed fixed in her garden and apparently Dan didn’t have the same gardening experience as Robin. Anne’s attention however was still on Louis.

“I am, though. I mean there was something, but it’s over for good.”

“No, why?”

Louis shrugged and looked at Harry, who was allowing Ernest to rub chocolate on his cheek with his dirty fingers. “He wasn’t the right one, I guess.”

“Aw,” Anne rubbed Louis’ back, “you’ll find him, don’t worry.”

“I know,” Louis agreed with a smile.

“I’m sure that Louis will find a tall man, with a good sense of humor and nice hair,” Harry said surprising both Anne and Louis with the fact that he was listening.

“So the opposite from you,” Louis teased him.

Harry rolled his eyes, but he still smirked. “You wish to have me, honey.”

“In your dreams, Styles.”

“Well, you must know about dreams, Tommo. You have them about me all the time.”

“Hey, no fighting. Harry, stop,” Anne intervened. “You seriously need to grow up.”

“Yes, Harold, you need to grow up,” Louis bantered some more with Harry. It was insane how much he wanted to just kiss him, lick that chocolate icing from his face. Ridiculous. He was a grown up man.

Harry bounced Ernest on his knee, finally stopping him from messing with his face some more. “Like you’re the one to talk, you man-child.”

“Boys, stop,” Anne said with a serious voice. “It’s Jay’s birthday this week and if you ruin it, I-”

“You know I’d never ruin Jay’s birthday. She’s my second mommy,” Harry leaned and pressed a kiss on Jay’s cheek, catching her by surprise, since she was absorbed in her conversation with Robin.

She turned to look at Harry, giving him a big smile. “What do you want, darling?”

“To tell you happy birthday, second mom.”

Louis coughed softly. “I’m still here and alive.”

“Now don’t be jealous, Lewis. She’s still your mom, I just get to borrow her every now and then.”

“You, two, are children,” Anne said but she wasn’t serious anymore. She pushed Louis’ fringe away from his forehead. “You need a haircut, Lou.”

“Hey!” Louis faked being offended. He indeed needed a haircut soon.

“I think it looks cute,” Harry said and by judging by the sudden silence on the table -apart from the twins who were blabbering to each other- no one really expected that. Louis couldn’t blame them.

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

Harry smirked and winked at him, not subtle at all. “We’ll see about that.”

 

~*~

 

Apparently, Harry meant it when he said that they would see about flattery and where it would get him, because, currently, Louis was sitting in the backseat of Harry’s car, heavily making out and struggling not to take it any further. Or all the way.

“You’re so gorgeous, babe,” Harry murmured on his lips, trying to grab the hem of Louis’ shirt and take it off him. “I can’t believe I got this lucky.”

“I can’t either,” Louis said back and he meant it. Harry was- Louis couldn’t believe how many years of this amazing human being Louis had missed because of a stupid, childish vendetta that didn’t make sense. And it was just his fault it existed. Guilt curled in his gut again, making him feel like the most horrible person on earth.

Harry sensed it right away, almost as if he was already attuned to Louis’ behavior. He pulled away and looked at Louis intently. His glazed eyes were sinful, Louis wanted to wreck him in all ways possible, but firstly he had to make sure that Harry knew how sorry he was.

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked pecking Louis’ lips softly.

“I- You know how sorry I am for everything, right?”

Harry looked at him confused. “Wait, are you about to dump me?”

“What? No!” How could Louis dump him? They haven’t even started dating officially yet. “I just want to make sure that you’ve forgiven me for being an asshole all these years.”

Harry frowned and pecked Louis’ lips. “Babe, of course, I’ve forgiven you. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“You were bullied, H.,” Louis protested. He wanted to be sure that going in this- whatever this was between them, there weren’t any hard feelings.

Harry nodded, a little sad at the memories. “You weren’t the reason I was bullied, Lou. Honestly, you were just teasing me, the other people were… some of the other kids were horrible, because that’s how shitty the world is. Do you think I’d hit on you, if I thought you were a horrible person or if you ever really hurt me?”

“But the letter?”

Harry pushed Louis’ fringe away from his forehead and kissed him deeply, not in the same way they were kissing a few moments ago. “Why can’t you forget it? Why don’t you want to move on?”

“I want to make sure we’re alright.”

“I appreciate that, but honestly you know what I’d appreciate more?” Louis shook his head, eager to know, eager to please this boy. “If we could take this to your bedroom.”

Louis sighed relieved and chuckled at the innocent request. “I’d love to, but my whole family is in there, so better not risk it.”

“Oh, are we hiding?”

Louis shrugged. “We can tell them we’re just hanging out, they’ll probably run to check if hell froze over.”

“Alright, I know we said that we won’t just flat out say it, but I want to spend time with you.”

Louis bopped Harry’s nose. “We’ll spend loads of time when we’re back in New York, babe.”

“Yes, I know. Still… I just want you inside me, Lou.”

Louis’ choked on his breath, taken aback by Harry’s honesty. He’d love nothing more but to fuck Harry. Shit, the thought only made him feel hot all over. But he also knew that his whole family was inside the house, waiting for him to return from the grocery store, where he was supposed to be at the moment. Even if he could explain why he was hanging out with Harry, he didn’t really want to miss family time.

“I’d love to.” Louis pecked Harry’s lips, because who could resist to kiss such rosy, plump lips? “But I have to spend some time with them, H. I told Phoebe and Daisy I’d watch a movie with them before bed. But I promise to text right before sleep.”

“I prefer it if you sext me.”

“You’re horrible.”

Harry chuckled. “But you’ll do it anyway.”

Louis rolled his eyes and decided that it was time to leave, if he wanted to not succumb to his urges. “I have to go, babe.”

“I know. We’ll text tonight and we’ll talk tomorrow. Maybe I can come visit?”

“Of course, H. You’re always welcome, you know how much my mom loves you.”

Harry nodded and dived for one more kiss, before they parted ways. The fact that Louis was already missing him, as soon as he entered back home, confused him the most. He texted Harry after all, before the other boy even had the time to start the car and leave.

 

~*~

 

The week passed by like a blur. Louis enjoyed his down time, spending his days with his family. He played with the babies a lot, he took Phoebe, Daisy, Fiz and Lottie shopping more than once –yeah, his wallet suffered a great loss, but he didn’t care, he would spend a lot for his sisters. The nights were spent in front of the TV watching movies or around a table playing board games. And of course Harry always tagged along with the family. Maybe Louis couldn’t touch him and kiss him, but it was nice spending time with him, getting to know more of his wonderful personality.

The day of the birthday was Louis’ favorite. He woke at 7am and he helped the older twins to prepare a big breakfast for Jay, including pancakes and fruit salads and eggs on toast. Louis, of course, was useless, but Phoebe was always a natural talent in cooking and she made everything look easy. Fizzy and Lottie woke up and tagged along, when the siblings, minus the babies, who were still asleep, entered Jay’s bedroom with the breakfast and a cupcake with a single candle on it.

Jay appreciated the moment, smiling and laughing, kissing her kids on their foreheads and telling them that they shouldn’t have done all that.

“I love you, babies,” she said hugging the twin girls, who looked incredibly proud of making their mom happy.

Dan tried to reach for a piece of pancakes, when he returned from the bathroom, but Fiz slapped his hand away. “Hey, I think I’m allowed some breakfast, too,” he teased them by grabbing Jay’s bite from the fork and putting it in his mouth.

“There’s some left downstairs,” Louis said. “Go help yourself.”

“Thanks, man.” Dan pecked Jay’s lips murmuring ‘happy birthday’, before he left the room.

All the siblings sat on the bed around Jay, while she enjoyed her breakfast. It was such an amazing moment, the whole family assembled. Louis had missed this, he has missed them, and he had no idea how much, always preoccupied with work and friends in New York.

“We have a lot to do today,” Jay said while drinking some coffee. “My Lou, will you go to pick up some things from the store?”

“Of course, mom,” Louis agreed right away.

The rest of the morning was loud, after the siblings and Jay joined Dan and the babies in the living room. They all played a game with dolls together, until Jay declared that it was time to start getting the house ready. Each person had a chore to complete. The older twins had to clean up their rooms, since there would be a lot of families with children coming over, who would want to play and run around. Fiz would look after the baby twins, while Lottie and Jay would take care of the decorations. Dan said he would set up everything for the barbeque in the backyard. When the living room cleared up from people, Louis decided it was time to go shopping.

With Jay’s good coordination skills and everyone’s willingness to help, everything was ready for the party way before 6pm, when the first guests arrived. It was just Anne, Robin, Harry and a very pregnant Gemma with Michal. Louis run for Gemma, who hugged him tight and allowed him to rub her bump.

“You look gorgeous, Gem,” Louis said.

“She does, doesn’t she?” Jay asked coming from behind Louis to greet her guests. “How is everyone? Anne, I need your help with my hair, it looks like a mess.”

“I think it looks nice,” Harry said. “Happy birthday, Jay.” She hugged and kissed Jay, after he gave her a present.

“Aw, you shouldn’t have, darling.”

“Of course he should!” Louis protested, but just to tease Harry. He hadn’t seen him the day before and he had missed his face terribly. “Hi, Harold, I gather you’re doing well?”

“Aha. You too, Tommo?”

Louis nodded. He wanted to kiss him. They had to get out of there. “Of course.”

“Alright, let’s not stand here,” Anne said. “Where are the rest?”

“Kids are playing out, Lottie and Dan are preparing the barbeque.”

“I’ll go join them,” Robin said.

“Me too, I missed Lots,” Gemma said. “I haven’t seen her at all the past month.”

Robin, Gemma and Michal excused themselves to go join the rest of the family in the backyard. Jay dragged Anne to help her with her hair, giggling like teenagers and making both Louis and Harry, who were standing at the front door alone, smile at them fondly. When they realized they were alone, they turned and looked at each other intensely. It was only a moment, before they were in each other’s arms, kissing deeply like they haven’t seen each other for years. Harry’s hands rested on Louis’ ass, pulling the shorter boy closer.

“Missed you.”

“Missed you, too,” Louis whispered back. He wasn’t used to this kind of intimacy, it’s been a long time since he had that kind of relationship with another man. Even Ricky was just a guy he has seen twice. They hadn’t even talked since Louis arrived home.

“You look so hot, babe, in these clothes.”

Louis was wearing a pair of black, skinny jeans and a simple, dark green button-up. He certainly didn’t look hot in his opinion. Harry, though, looked like a sin. He had a pair of black, skinny jeans on -tighter than Louis’ even- and a see-through black shirt. Louis was surprised he didn’t have a stroke as soon as he saw him.

“You’re one to talk,” Louis huffed. “If our families weren’t here, I’d take you to my bedroom and we wouldn’t leave for a month.”

Harry smirked and stepped closer, looking down at Louis. “And what would you do to me, baby?”

Louis knew how to play that game. Even though his heart was beating fast, he still knew how to affect men. “I’d probably ride you for hours,” he replied nonchalant. Harry closed his eyes taking a deep breath. “Watch out, boy, you don’t want to sport a semi in front of our families now, do you?” Harry shook his head. “Let’s go outside, the girls will be excited to see you.”

Harry nodded and followed Louis outside. As soon as the babies saw him, they got up from the grass and run towards him screaming ‘Hazzy’. Harry knelt down and hugged them, before he picked Ernie up, who wouldn’t let him go. Doris tapped Louis’ leg and he bent down to pick her up.

“Achoo, want cake,” she said her light red hair bouncing around as she shook her head.

“Not now, darling.”

“But want!”

Harry chuckled and bounced Ernest on his hip. “Let me tell you. I might sneak a cupcake for you two, but you’ll have to share and keep it a secret. Deal?”

Ernest and Doris nodded. “But I have cake too, eh?” Doris asked with a grin.

“Of course,” Harry said.

“You’re corrupting them, Harold.”

“Oh, shush.”

Louis and Harry carried the babies back where the twins were sitting with Lottie and Fiz. They sat around one of the tables -there were three for the party- and they all started taking pictures and snapchatting. At some point Gemma joined them, sitting between Harry and Louis.

“I still can’t believe you’re pregnant.”

“Me neither,” Gemma sighed. “But in my case, I can’t believe I’m still pregnant. I want to give birth already. But let’s not start another discussion about this. Tell me about you, your amazing life in New York.”

Louis huffed. “I don’t know about an amazing life. If you want to hear about that, ask your brother. But life is good. I have a job and I’m doing just fine.”

“Aren’t you dating anyone?” Gemma asked cheekily. “You’re such a catch.”

Louis heard Harry cough awkwardly, before Louis opened his mouth to reply. “I am, yes, I’m seeing someone.” He turned to look at Harry, who was scowling, looking down at the table. “He’s an old… acquaintance, let’s say. We met again and, you know, stuff happened. He’s nice.”

“Aw, that’s cute,” Gemma said softly.

“Hey, you didn’t tell me anything. I thought you just met Ricky. Is this the guy we’re talking about?” Lottie asked intrigued.

“It’s not Ricky,” Louis said blushing. “It’s someone else.”

“Fuck off, Lou! I thought we were best friends and you’d tell me.”

“Language!” Dan yelled from a few feet away.

Lottie rolled her eyes and ignored Dan. “Who is it? Name?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Come on, tell us more.”

Alright, Louis obviously had put himself in a corner. Maybe he should just shut up next time, instead of trying to answer truthfully. “Alright, this feels like the _Summer Nights_ scene in Grease. What more do you want to know?”

“How does he look?” Fizzy asked getting interested in the conversation. “Is he tall, short like you? Big or small? Blond, brunet or bald?”

“He’s a normal boy, Fiz. Honestly-”

“Stop with that crap,” Lottie cut him off. “Tell us.”

Louis squinted his eyes, pretending he was thinking, as if the man wasn’t two seats away from him at the moment. “Um, he’s tall. Like taller than me, not a giant or anything.”

“Everyone is taller than you, Lou,” Harry said. That fucker had a smirk on, looking smug and amused by the interrogation that Louis was going through.

“Fuck off, will you?” Louis snapped but it was obvious by his soft smile that he didn’t mean it. Fuck, he was so whipped already. “Anyway, he’s tall, quite built, a big fucking oaf. It’s a question how he manages to stand on his own feet, you know. Barely can walk without tripping. Um, brunet. Nice hair most of the times. When he doesn’t touch it too much. He’s- um… he’s cute.” Louis could feel himself blushing furiously.

“Aw, sounds gorgeous,” Lottie said, satisfied now that she got what she wanted.

“Look at you, Lou, you’re blushing,” Phoebe teased him.

“You have a crush,” Daisy hurried to chime in.

Thankfully, Doris decided to interrupt the awkward moment, tagging Louis’ T-shirt to get his attention. “I hungry, Achoo.”

“You’re hungry, darling?” Louis cooed at his sister. “I believe a certain curly boy promised a treat. Hm… wondering where is it?”

“I can go get it,” Harry chuckled. “I thought you were against your siblings’ corruption.”

“My sister is hungry, Harold, and I demand she feels happy at all times.”

Harry rolled his eyes and stood up, while holding Ernest. “Does anyone want anything from inside?”

Everyone declined and as Harry walked away talking with Ernest, who wouldn’t leave his arms, the girls declared that they got bored and they would go to their rooms for a little bit. Fizzy joined Dan and Robin, and Lottie said she would check on Jay and Anne, if they needed any help. That left Louis and Gemma alone. Normally Louis loved spending time with Gemma, she was his favorite from the Styles family, but there was something in the way she was looking at him that moment that made him feel uneasy.

Doris squirmed away from Louis’ lap and she run towards the house, yelling “Hazza, I ‘capecake’!” Louis laughed at the cute way she stumbled on her feet, but when he turned to look at Gemma, she was looking at him with squinted eyes.

“What?” Louis asked worried that he had said or done something wrong.

“Interesting.”

“What’s interesting?”

Gemma sat back and rubbed her bump, soothing the T-shirt she was wearing. “My brother told me about this boy he met. He told me he’s an old crush and they met again recently. Did you know?”

Louis felt cold sweat running down his back. “Huh. No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah, he seems so excited about this new ‘thing’. He didn’t want to label it yet, said they don’t have a label.”

Louis looked away, hoping that Harry would hurry back to save him. “Hm… interesting.”

“Interesting, indeed.” She paused for a moment and Louis could feel her examining his face. Louis tried really, really hard to stop feeling so flushed. “He also told me about him. He’s gorgeous, as he said. On the small side, he has beautiful brown hair and what else? Oh, yeah, right. Amazing blue eyes. H. seems enamored with this person.”

Louis’ nerves got mixed with the warm feeling inside his chest, the one he always got when he was around Harry now, spreading all over his body. Harry seemed enamored with him. Louis. Harry seemed enamored with Louis. And alright, Louis wasn’t oblivious, Harry had showed him many times that he was interested, and was telling him all the time, but enamored was different than interested. It was more. It was everything.

“I just hope that this person won’t play with my brother’s heart. You see my brother was always a bit in love with him and that person, having no idea, always ignored him or teased him. Kind-heartedly, he’s not an asshole. But I don’t know if he’s just as infatuated as Harry.”

Fuck. Gemma knew. It was obvious she knew. She wasn’t stupid and neither was Louis. He didn’t know, though, if he had the right to officially tell her. That seemed like something Harry should do, when they were both ready. He could however try to reassure her.

“I believe he’s just as -how did you say it?- enamored as Harry, if not more. And he probably knows what an idiot he’s been in the past and he wants to make it up. He will. He’ll try.” Gemma smiled softly, raising an eyebrow in question. “I mean… I don’t know him, I suppose that’s what a decent person would do.”

“You’re a decent person, Lou.” She put her hand on Louis’ shoulder and squeezed. “I’m sure that oaf of a guy you found will be really happy with you.”

Louis bit his lips awkwardly, but chose to not say anything else. Anyway, they couldn’t continue their conversation, since Harry and the twin babies came back from the house, all three of them having chocolate smeared on their faces.

“Look what these little demons did to me!” Harry explained at Louis. Louis wanted to kiss his stupid face so much.

“Looking good, Harold,” Louis teased him trying too hard to control his face and not grin to death. From the way that Gemma laughed out loud, it was obvious he failed.

 

~*~

 

The barbeque party was a blast. Many old and new friends came, Jay was ecstatic, especially when she saw the cake, which was a surprise by the girls. It was obvious how loved she was by everyone, since she was always in someone’s hug or talking and laughing with friends. Louis felt relieved to see his family so happy. After food was served and eaten, and they cut the cake, most guests left, apart from some close relatives and the Styles, of course.

At the moment, Louis was sitting alone, since everyone else was trying to build a campfire and Harry had taken the babies to put them to bed. Their request apparently. Louis was finally able to unwind a little bit, enjoy his first beer of the night, since he didn’t want to start earlier and risk getting drunk around the kids.

“Thanks for all the help, Lou,” Dan teased as he carried a big log.

“No problem, Dan!” Louis teased back.

Jay turned to look at Louis and she smiled fondly. “Leave my baby boy alone,” she said to Dan.

“Of course,” Dan replied rolling his eyes and kissing her cheek softly.

They resumed what they were doing and Louis went back to watching them. He felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Louis didn’t need to turn around and see who it was behind him. That familiar warmth in his gut seemed to be constant now, the person pulled a chair and sat really, really close to him.

“The kids are asleep,” Harry said softly. “Wait, that sounds like something I should say in ten years.”

“Ten years, hm?” Louis turned to look at Harry. The soft glow of the lit candles around the backyard made Harry’s eyes look a special kind of green. Maybe it was the way his eyes were sparkling as he was looking back at Louis’.

“Yep. I want at least five kids, so I have to start early.”

“Five?” Louis pretended to choke. As if Louis didn’t want at least six kids himself. “That’s like a basketball team.”

“Not if they’re yours, they won’t be able to reach the hoops.”

Louis slapped Harry playfully, although his heart was beating fast in the prospect of talking about having a family with Harry. “How dare you talk about our kids like that?”

“Well, they wouldn’t be that short if you weren’t so tiny.”

Louis scoffed and looked away. They were talking about serious stuff, things someone discusses in a serious, long-term relationship. They were barely dating. They haven’t even gone to a proper date together. What was Louis’ life at the moment?

“Your mouth will get you in trouble,” Louis told him leaning a bit closer than he should have in front of their families, but he couldn’t help himself.

“You’re one to talk,” Harry replied looking down at Louis’ mouth and licking his lips. “I think your mouth will get both of us in trouble. I still cannot forget that mouth wrapped around my-”

Louis slapped a hand on Harry’s mouth to stop him. “Shut the fuck up, Curls.”

Harry raised his head in a challenging nod. “Make me.”

Louis looked around to assess the environment. Everyone was sitting around the bonfire. No one seemed to pay any attention to them. And if they did… so what? Louis didn’t want to hide his feelings for Harry. They had agreed to go on dates as soon as they’d be back to New York. He would tell Jay right after the first date anyway. Why hide? What was the point?

Louis took a deep breath and sealed Harry’s lips with his, making the younger boy gasp in shock, without retracting, however. Their lips intertwined, Harry’s hand came to rest on Louis’ face, stroking the lines of his cheekbone. Two shrieks coming from the bonfire, they made both of them jump taken aback. Of course Louis knew to who they belonged.

“Mom,” Harry groaned.

“Jay, did you see that? Did you see them?” Anne said enthusiastically.

Jay seemed just as excited, clapping her hands happily. “Boys, what does that mean?”

Harry shrugged and blushed next to Louis, trying to hide his face behind his hands. Louis couldn’t care less, though, about the people looking at him, expressions varying from shocked to happy and downright thrilled, the latter belonged to Jay and Anne.

“It means that you are all nosy and I think you should go back to roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and let us snuggle in peace.”

“You weren’t just snuggling, though. You were full on sucking each other’s faces,” Lottie said. From all of them she was the one who looked the most shocked. “And I just- what happened to the other guy you met and for whom you dumped Ricky?”

Louis rolled his eyes. “This is the other guy, Lots.”

“Ah!” Her gaze alternated between the two for a moment. “I see.”

“Now can you go back to what you were doing and let us be? This is getting awkward.”

“No!” Jay said. “You have to tell us, how long have you been together? Are you official? How did this happen?”

Louis stood up and grabbed Harry’s arm to pull him up. “We’re going for a walk, have fun!” Louis dragged Harry inside the house, while everyone outside were clapping and hooting. Such kids!

“Where are we going?” Harry chuckled, cheeks and ears still red.

“We’re going for a walk, don’t you want to spend some alone time with me?” Louis asked. As soon as they entered the house and weren’t visible to those outside anymore, Louis turned around and attacked Harry with a kiss, a more racy one. Harry’s hands went automatically to Louis’ ass, squeezing lightly and pulling him up so that the other boy would wrap his muscly legs around Harry’s waist. Both the boys moaned as Harry pushed Louis against the counter. “Yeah, fuck the walk,” Louis panted, “let’s go upstairs so we can fuck.”

Harry chuckled, but didn’t argue. “Yeah,” he said nodding his head. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

“You have to be silent, though, we don’t want everyone to hear us.”

Harry took a step back and looked at Louis with a raised eyebrow. “You were the one moaning like a porn star if I remember correctly.”

Louis huffed and started walking towards the stairs. “Now tell me, Harold, how the fuck am I supposed to make noises, if I have your cock in my mouth?”

Harry let out a loud whimper making Louis laugh as he started climbing the stairs. Harry wasn’t far behind.

 

~*~

 

Their week in San Francisco ended quickly and Harry and Louis found themselves sitting in the car, ready to go, as their families waved them goodbye. Their mothers had gone on a long rant about them not saying anything right away, but as soon as they saw how happy they looked when they were around each other, they let them be. They were too excited to be in-laws anyway. Not that Harry and Louis would get married or anything soon, but their mothers had already made up their minds. There was no point trying to explain.

“Back to reality,” Louis sighed as the car turned and he couldn’t see his family and his mom’s face anymore. He would miss his mom the most, her warm hugs calming him down. He was such a sap, but whatever. He didn’t care to be called a momma’s boy. He was one.

Harry picked Louis’ hand up and kissed the knuckles softly. Those soft little touches were the ones that made Louis’ heart beat faster.

“What are you talking about? We have two days ahead of us. I can’t wait to have some pasta with meatballs. Maybe some of your mozzarella dips.”

“In your dreams, Styles. I’m not sharing.”

“Of course we’ll share. We’re a cou- We can share,” Harry corrected himself quickly.

Louis wanted to be with Harry. Yeah, it had been just a week since they saw each other again, but honestly Harry was the loveliest man he’s ever met. And they knew each other their whole lives. Louis just wanted to be able to call Harry his boyfriend, he didn’t care how silly and rushed it might seemed.

“Harold, if you want to call us a couple, you have every right to. We sort of are. At least we’re dating, aren’t we?”

Harry shrugged and focused on the road. A little bit too much. “I mean you’re also dating Ricky still. As far as I know you haven’t talked to him yet.”

Right. Harry had no idea. “I actually talked to him yesterday, Harold,” Louis said smugly. “I explained that there is no reason to give him false hope. He took it very well, considering he met someone at the concert as well.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, so that has been taken care of. But I’m not calling you my boyfriend, until you take me to a proper date.”

“Is that little place with your mozzarella sticks a good place to go on our first date?”

Louis shook his head, pretending to be disappointed. “You’re so cheap.”

“Oh, tell me, Prince Louis, where would your ass like to eat?”

Louis placed a hand on Harry’s thigh and rubbed him softly. “I think that the little restaurant is actually perfect for our first official date, H.”

Harry looked at him and smiled. “I think so, too, Lou.” Harry leaned and pecked Louis’ lips softly. “It can be our little place, can’t it?”

Louis nodded.

Visiting that place on their way to San Francisco every summer after that became something like a tradition. It wasn’t surprising when they both proposed to each other there, three years later.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are always appreciated.
> 
> Thank you for reading,   
> Ri. xx
> 
> PS: You can find a rebloggable post [here](https://rosegoldhlfics.tumblr.com/post/177339782246/on-the-open-road-by-rosegoldhl-harry-and-louis)


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